different between anticipate vs foretell

English

Etymology

From Latin anticip?tus, perfect passive participle of anticip?re (“anticipate”); from ante (“before”), + capere (“take”). See capable.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /æn?t?s.?.pe?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /æn?t?s.?.pe?t/

Verb

anticipate (third-person singular simple present anticipates, present participle anticipating, simple past and past participle anticipated)

1. (transitive) To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
   • c. 1824 (written, published in 1891) Robert Hall, Fragment on Popery

     When two parties, each formidable for their numbers, and the weight of their influence and property, are animated by an equal degree of zeal, it is natural to anticipate the final success of that which possesses the most inherent strength.

   Synonym: preclude

2. to take up or introduce (something) prematurely.

3. to know of (something) before it happens; to expect.

   Synonyms: expect, foretaste, foresee

4. to eagerly wait for (something)

   Synonym: look forward to

Usage notes

The words anticipate and expect both regard some future event as likely to take place. Nowadays they are often used interchangeably although anticipate is associated with acting because of an expectation: e.g. "skilled sportsmen anticipate the action and position themselves accordingly".

Related terms

• anticipation
• anticipatory

Translations

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /antit?si?pate/

Verb

anticipate

1. present adverbial passive participle of anticipi

Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /antit?si?pate/

Verb

anticipate

1. adverbial present passive participle of anticipar

Italian

Verb

anticipate

1. second-person plural present indicative of anticipare
2. second-person plural imperative of anticipare
3. feminine plural of anticipato

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /an.ti.ki?pa?.te/, [än?t??k??pä?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /an.ti.t??i?pa.te/, [?n?t?it??i?p??t??]

Verb

anticip?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of anticip?

English

Etymology

c. 1300, from Middle English foretellen, equivalent to fore- +? tell.

Pronunciation

• enPR: fôr-t?l?, IPA^(key): /f???t?l/
  • (General Australian) IPA^(key): [fo?.?te?]
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [f??.?t??]
  • (US) IPA^(key): [f??.?t??]
• Rhymes: -?l
• Hyphenation: fore?tell

Verb

foretell (third-person singular simple present foretells, present participle foretelling, simple past and past participle foretold)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To predict; to tell (the future) before it occurs; to prophesy.
2. (transitive) To tell (a person) of the future.

Synonyms

• foresay
• forespeak

Derived terms

• foretellable
• foreteller

Related terms

• foretale

Translations

See also

• forecast
• foresee
• forewarn

References

• foretell in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• foretell in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• toll-free, tollfree