'antelation' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'ante-' meaning 'before' and a noun-forming element related to Latin 'latio' (from 'ferre'/'latus') meaning 'a carrying or bringing'; the combination produced Medieval/Neo-Latin forms such as 'antelatio'.

'antelation' passed into English via Medieval/Latin usage (Medieval Latin 'antelatio' / Late Latin formations) and appears in English texts from the early modern period, retaining a chiefly literary or archaic register.

Initially it meant 'the action of placing before or preferring'; over time the basic sense has remained but the word has become rare and chiefly literary or technical in English.