antedating
|an-te-dat-ing|
/ˌæn.tɪˈdeɪ.tɪŋ/
(antedate)
before in time
Etymology
'antedate' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'ante-' meaning 'before' combined with 'date' (from Latin 'datum' via Old French 'date').
'antedate' was formed in English by combining Latin 'ante-' and the word 'date' (through Old French) and has been attested in Early Modern English meaning 'to give an earlier date to' or 'to precede in time.'
Initially it primarily meant 'to assign an earlier date to (a document)'; over time it also came to be used in the broader sense 'to be earlier than' or 'to precede in time.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the action or practice of assigning a date to a document or event that is earlier than the actual date; the state or result of being given an earlier date (i.e., backdating).
The antedating of the invoice led to an audit of the company's records.
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Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'antedate'.
By antedating the note, he tried to make it appear he had signed earlier.
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Verb 2
the act of occurring or existing earlier than something else; to precede in time (used here in the continuous/gerund form).
The scientific discovery was antedating several earlier claims in the field.
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Last updated: 2025/08/21 17:07