anticipator
|an-ti-ci-pa-tor|
🇺🇸
/ænˈtɪsɪpeɪtər/
🇬🇧
/ænˈtɪsɪpeɪtə/
act or expect before
Etymology
'anticipator' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anticipare', where 'ante-' meant 'before' and 'capere' (through related forms) meant 'to take or seize'.
'anticipator' developed from Late Latin 'anticipare' into Medieval/Old French forms like 'anticiper' and into Middle English via the verb 'anticipaten' and the adjective/verb 'anticipate', later forming the agent noun 'anticipator' in modern English.
Initially it had the sense 'to take beforehand or act before', and over time evolved into meanings focused on 'expecting or predicting' and the agent sense 'one who anticipates'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person or thing that anticipates; someone who expects or acts in advance of an event.
As an anticipator of market trends, she adjusted the portfolio before prices fell.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a device or mechanism that provides an early action or preemptive response (technical use; e.g., thermostat 'anticipator').
The furnace's anticipator reduced temperature overshoot by starting the burner slightly earlier.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/29 02:46