anterior

American  

[an-teer-ee-er] / ænˈtɪər i ər /

adjective

1. situated before or at the front of; fore (posterior ).

2. going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier.

   events anterior to the outbreak of war.

3. Linguistics.  (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial.

4. (in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body.

5. (in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.

6. Botany.  on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.

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anterior British  

/ ænˌtɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ, ænˈtɪərɪə /

adjective

1. situated at or towards the front

2. earlier in time

3. zoology of or near the head end

4. botany (of part of a flower or leaf) situated farthest away from the main stem

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Other Word Forms

• anteriority noun
• anteriorly adverb
• nonanterior adjective

Etymology

Origin of anterior

1535–45; < Latin, comparative of ante before, formed on model of posterior

Example Sentences

The federation gave no further details but Macuga indicated in an Instagram post that she damaged her anterior cruciate ligament.

From Barron's

Arsenal teenager Katie Reid was called up to the last squad but was forced to withdraw when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

From BBC

England forward Michelle Agyemang has confirmed she has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament and will miss the rest of the season.

From BBC

The document they produced was, Beard argued, “essentially an economic document based upon the concept that the fundamental private rights of property are anterior to government and morally beyond the reach of popular majorities.”

From Salon

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Hill tore multiple ligaments in the knee, including his anterior cruciate ligament, and will undergo reconstructive surgery Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times