'antepone' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anteponere', where 'ante-' meant 'before' and 'ponere' meant 'to place.'

'antepone' derives from Latin 'anteponere' (Late Latin/Medieval Latin), formed from the prefix 'ante-' + a stem from 'ponere'; it entered English as a learned verb formed on this Latin model.

Initially it meant 'to place before' in a literal sense; over time it has been used also figuratively to mean 'to prefer' or 'to give priority to', a meaning that remains in modern usage.