[ad. L. anticipātiōn-em, n. of action f. anticipāre (see ANTICIPATE); or perh. a. Fr. anticipation, 16th c. in Littré.]
1. The action of taking into possession, actually or virtually, beforehand; the using of money before it is at one’s disposal; the sum so dealt with in advance.
1548. Hall, Chron., 672. This payment was called an Anticipation, which is to say a thing taken, or a thing commyng before his tyme.
c. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. II. 115. Had drawn assignments and anticipations upon the Revenue.
1691. Luttrell, Brief Rel., II. 317. To speake to the lords of the treasury to give an account of all tallies of anticipation that are struck.
1769. Burke, Pres. St. Nat., Wks. II. 107. This deficiency arises … from anticipation and from defective produce.
1858. Ld. St. Leonard’s Property Law, xvii. 118. Although she [a married woman] is restrained from anticipation by the settlement.
2. Prior action that meets beforehand, provides for, or precludes the action of another.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 100. Anticipacion is when we prevent those wordes that another would saie, and disprove them as untrue.
1602. Shaks., Ham., II. ii. 304. So shall my anticipation preuent your discouery.
1815. Sir J. Mackintosh, Sp. (27 April), Wks. 1846, III. 342. Those whose flagitious policy they had by anticipation condemned.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xv. 230. In anticipation of a riot the temples on the Forum were occupied with guards.
3. Assignment to too early a time; hence, observance in advance of the proper time.
1774. J. Bryant, Mythol., II. 106. Guilty of an unpardonable anticipation, in ascribing those conquests to the first king of the country.
c. 1854. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., xiv. (1858), 464. Easter Eve, which by a strange anticipation … eclipses Easter Sunday.
4. Occurrence in advance of the expected time; ellipt. the amount of such earlier occurrence. Obs. in general sense.
1556. Recorde, Cast. Knowl., 277. The anticipation of the Equinoctiall tearmes.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., H j. Ye anticipation being substractit.
1694. Holder, Disc. Time, vii. 94 (J.). The Golden Number, so fixed, gives us the New-moon’s, and Full, and other Accounts of the Moon, more than four days too late; by reason of the aforesaid Anticipation, and our neglect of it.
b. Med. (See quot.)
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Anticipation, in a medicinal sense,… may be understood of those diseases, which, having their accesses and remissions at stated hours, gain in point of time, and finish their period sooner than ordinary.
1853. Mayne, Exp. Lex., Anticipation, The occurrence of certain phenomena, morbid or natural, before the customary period.
c. Music. The introduction beforehand of part of a chord which is about to follow.
1819. Pantol., Anticipation, in music, is when a diminutive note lies between two other notes, and was invented with a view to vary the melody without altering the intention.
1880. Pole, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 73/2. Beethoven has many striking examples of anticipation.
5. Intuitive preconception; à priori knowledge, intuition; precognition, presentiment.
1549. Latimer, 7 Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 47. Ye Ethenickes, who wrought onely by naturall mocion and anticipations.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 576. By these anticipations they understande those principles of knowledge and naturall informations, which … wee have not learned of any masters.
1860. Abp. Thomson, Laws of Th., § 115 (ed. 5), 229. Anticipation … is the power of penetrating into the secrets of nature before the evidence is unfolded.
† 6. The formation of opinions before examining the evidence; prepossession, prejudice. Obs.
1640. Sanderson, 21 Serm., Ad Aul. xi. (1673), 160. Education and Custom commonly layeth such strong anticipations upon the judgment.
a. 1704. Locke, Cond. Underst. § 25 (1741), 68 (R.). Men give themselves up to the first Anticipations of their Minds.
1711. Shaftesb., Charact. (1737), III. IV. ii. 214. We cannot resist our natural Anticipation in behalf of Nature.
7. The action of representing to oneself or realizing a thing before it occurs; apprehension beforehand, preconception.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac., III. 336. The Anticipation of high Titles, Honours, and nominal Dignitys … may not prove beneficial or advantageous in the end.
a. 1764. Lloyd, Milk-maid, Poet. Wks. 1774, II. 51.
| And when the thoughts on evil pore, | |
| Anticipation makes it more. |
1816. Miss Austen, Emma, I. xi. 77. First in anticipation and then in reality it became henceforth the chief object of interest.
8. The action of looking forward to, expectation.
1809. Coleridge, Friend, iv. (1837), I. 198. Had I not soothed my solitary toils with the anticipation of many readers.
1830. B’ness Bunsen, in Hare, Life, I. ix. 342. We are in such a state of excitement in anticipation of political news.
1841. Brewster, Mart. Sci., vi. (1856), 83. Looked forward to the arrival of her Father with the most affectionate anticipations.
