Revised as of 14 April 2021
While the traditionalists insist that anticipate is used only “to perform (an action) or respond to (a question, etc.) in advance” or “to forestall”, it has been standard English in writing and speaking to use it as a synonym for expect.
The primary difference between the two words is that anticipate has emotion attached to it. The anticipation of Christmas coming up can be exciting or depressing. One’s anticipation of one’s birthday or an upcoming party can be the same. There’s the possibility of being promoted…or fired.
What it comes to expect, there is no emotion involved. It’s a hum-drum assumption that it will happen. I expect that Friday will arrive and, thankfully, so will that paycheck I’m anticipating.
Word Confusions…
…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Anticipate | Expect |
|---|---|
| Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com; Dictionary.com: anticipate | |
Delicious by Arsene is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt. — I’m already anticipating dessert! |
Thanksgiving ’07 by sdscarborough is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt. — This young man expects that he’ll be eating his Thanksgiving dinner soon. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Verb, intransitive & transitive
Third person present verb: anticipates |
Verb, intransitive & transitive
Third person present verb: expects |
| It is going to happen, or is very likely, but emotion is attached, and there is an implication of doing something.
Verb, intransitive: To think, speak, act, write, or feel an emotional response in advance To mention (something) before its proper time Verb, transitive:
Act as a forerunner or precursor of
To answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made [Finance] To expend (funds) before they are legitimately available for use [Finance] To discharge (an obligation) before it is due |
It is going to happen, or is very likely, but no emotion is attached.
Verb, intransitive: [Archaic] Wait Stay To look forward To be pregnant
Verb, transitive:
[Archaic] Await Anticipate or look forward to the coming or occurrence of |
| Examples: | |
| Verb, intransitive: Don’t anticipate! You’ll spoil the climax if you anticipate! In the first scene, fans anticipate entering what looks to be an arena, while three dancers stand outside the door. The decline started faster than many in the industry anticipated. “That would mean a total of four rate moves in 2018, up from the three officials anticipated in March” Wall Street Journal, 13 Jun 2018). Verb, transitive: It was anticipated that the rains would slow the military campaign. He anticipated each of my orders. They failed to anticipate a full scale invasion. Stephen was eagerly anticipating the break from the routine of business. He anticipated Bates’s theories on mimicry and protective coloration. I’m sorry, go on. I did not mean to anticipate you. Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci. He anticipated his salary in buying a house. They’re running up some serious debt, anticipating that legacy. James anticipates his cellphone bill to ensure his phone is always available. |
Verb, intransitive: She’s expecting next month. Verb, transitive: He expects the stock market to sink further. He expect that farmers will harvest 63 million acres of hay. They were not expecting him to continue. Celia was expecting a visitor. We expect great things of you. We expect employers to pay a reasonable salary. They’re just friends of his, I expect. I expect you know them? Mary is expecting a baby. It’s only to be expected. You know her mama… What can you expect? We were expecting them any minute now. I had expected the cab to be here by now. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: anticipatable, anticipatory, unan·ticipated, anticipative, unanticipating, well-anticipated Adverb: anticipatorily, anticipatively, unanticipatingly Noun: anticipation, anticipator Verb, transitive: preanticipate, preanticipated, preanticipating |
Adjective: expectable, unexpected Adverb: expectably, expectedly, unexpectedly Noun: expectedness, unexpectedness |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-16th century in the senses of to take something into consideration, mention something before the proper time and is from the Latin anticipat- meaning acted in advance, which is from anticipare, based on ante- (before) + capere (take). | The first known use was in 1560 and based on the sense defer action or wait from the Latin exspectare meaning look out for, from ex- (out) + spectare (to look) (iterative of specere meaning see). |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them…and we’ll all benefit!
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Pinterest Photo Credits:
Lunch Table, <https://visualhunt.com/f2/photo/3331581357/6fff09aae1/>, by wohlford, <https://visualhunt.com/author/b61c0e>, is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt.
