predate

[ pree-deyt ]

verb (used with object)

, pre·dat·ed, pre·dat·ing.

1. to date before the actual time; antedate:

   He predated the check by three days.

2. to precede in date:

   a house that predates the Civil War.

predate

/ priːˈdeɪt /

verb

1. to affix a date to (a document, paper, etc) that is earlier than the actual date
2. to assign a date to (an event, period, etc) that is earlier than the actual or previously assigned date of occurrence
3. to be or occur at an earlier date than; precede in time

Word History and Origins

Origin of predate¹

First recorded in 1860–65; pre- + date ¹

Example Sentences

Java’s stand predated by two years the uprising over similar anti-LGBTQ+ police harassment at the Stonewall Inn in New York, and has never received the same attention.

From Los Angeles Times

While the Israeli government might suggest that this is nature reclaiming old habitat, much of this process is unnatural and predates the ongoing war in Gaza.

From Salon

The new nematode fossils predate those Cambrian creatures by about 15 million years, says Hughes, a graduate student at Harvard University.

From Science Magazine

We understood each other perfectly - with a gestural language that obviously predates human speech.”

From BBC

I think my love of being a funny actor predates my love of comedy, but that’s what brought me to stand-up.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anticipate
• foreshadow
• outrank
• presage