predate

See also: pre-date

English

Etymology 1

From pre- +‎ date.

Alternative forms

• pre-date

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːˌdeɪt/, /ˌpɹiːˈdeɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Verb

predate (third-person singular simple present predates, present participle predating, simple past and past participle predated)

1. To designate a date earlier than the actual one; to move a date, appointment, event, or period of time to an earlier point (contrast "postdate".)
2. (transitive) To exist or to occur before something else; to antedate.

   The Chinese use of Pascal's Triangle predates its discovery by Blaise Pascal.

   • 2020 May 20, Paul Clifton, “A hydrogen solution to decarbonisation?”, in Rail, page 54:

     "The Tees Valley has ageing diesel trains that predate any form of emission control.

Synonyms

• (to designate a date earlier): antedate, backdate, foredate; see also Thesaurus:backdate
• (to occur before something else): antedate; see also Thesaurus:predate

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "to designate a date earlier"): overdate, postdate; see also Thesaurus:overdate
• (antonym(s) of "to occur before something else"): postdate

Translations

move a date, event

• German: vorverlegen (de)
• Portuguese: adiantar (pt)
• Spanish: adelantar (es)

exist before

• Finnish: edeltää (fi)
• German: (vorzeitig, zu früh, vorher) auftreten
• Portuguese: anteceder (pt), preceder (pt)
• Spanish: anteceder (es), preceder (es)
• Ukrainian: передувати (pereduvaty)

Noun

predate (plural predates)

1. A publication, such as a newspaper or magazine, that is issued with a printed date later than the date of issue.

Etymology 2

Back-formation from predation or predator.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈdeɪt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈdeɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

Verb

predate (third-person singular simple present predates, present participle predating, simple past and past participle predated)

2. To prey upon something.

Synonyms

• (to prey upon): prey

Related terms

• predation
• depredation
• predator

Translations

prey

• Dutch: azen (nl), prederen
• German: vordatieren
• Portuguese: predar (pt)
• Spanish: predar, depredar (es)

References

• “predate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “predate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• adepter, pad-tree, readept, red tape, redtape, retaped, tapered

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

predate

1. inflection of predare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

predate f pl

1. feminine plural of predato

Spanish

Verb

predate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of predar combined with te