anticipation

[ an-tis-uh-pey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of anticipating or the state of being anticipated.
2. realization in advance; foretaste.
3. expectation or hope.
4. previous notion; slight previous impression.
5. intuition, foreknowledge, or prescience.
6. Law. a premature withdrawal or assignment of money from a trust estate.
7. Music. a tone introduced in advance of its harmony so that it sounds against the preceding chord.

anticipation

/ ænˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of anticipating; expectation, premonition, or foresight
2. the act of taking or dealing with funds before they are legally available or due
3. music an unstressed, usually short note introduced before a downbeat and harmonically related to the chord immediately following it Compare suspension

Other Words From

• nonan·tici·pation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of anticipation¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French, from Latin anticipātiōn-, stem of anticipātiō “innate notion, preconception,” from anticipāt(us) “taken before, anticipated” (past participle of anticipāre “to take before”; anticipate ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Excitement and anticipation ran high in Indian cricket circles as the team was expected to face the mighty Australians, led by legendary batsman Donald Bradman.

From BBC

They added that the limited theatrical run was intended to generate word-of-mouth anticipation ahead of the Max debut.

From Los Angeles Times

But the room was clearly thick with a lot of love and anticipation for Theophilio creative director Edvin Thompson’s always sensual, elegant and sometimes irreverent vision.

From Los Angeles Times

Russian military equipment, such as jets, has already been moved to airfields further inside Russia in anticipation of such a decision.

From BBC

The long wait had since only amped up the anticipation, as Maiava told himself to “fall in love” with the process, waiting his turn.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apprehension
• hope
• joy
• prospect