anterior
Americanadjective
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situated before or at the front of; fore (posterior ).
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going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier.
events anterior to the outbreak of war.
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Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial.
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(in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body.
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(in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.
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Botany. on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.
adjective
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situated at or towards the front
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earlier in time
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zoology of or near the head end
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botany (of part of a flower or leaf) situated farthest away from the main stem
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has featured in 18 Premier League games this season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in 2024.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
On Jan. 30, Vonn suffered a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, with meniscus and bone damage, when she crashed during a downhill race in Crans Montana, Switzerland.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The question of whether she should have been racing at all with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament will be debated for years.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
Vonn, 41, insisted that the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament she suffered in a crash in a World Cup race before the Milan-Cortina Games "had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever".
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
When the doctor opened the knee up he discovered that Boobie had torn the anterior cruciate ligament.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
