anticipation

noun

(ˌ)an-ˌti-sə-ˈpā-shən How to pronounce anticipation (audio)
Definition of anticipationnext
as in expectation
the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence in anticipation of a job offer, she had already begun looking for an apartment in the city where the company was based

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun anticipation differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of anticipation are foretaste, outlook, and prospect. While all these words mean "an advance realization of something to come," anticipation implies a prospect or outlook that involves advance suffering or enjoyment of what is foreseen.

the anticipation of her arrival

When is it sensible to use foretaste instead of anticipation?

While the synonyms foretaste and anticipation are close in meaning, foretaste implies an actual though brief or partial experience of something forthcoming.

the frost was a foretaste of winter

In what contexts can outlook take the place of anticipation?

In some situations, the words outlook and anticipation are roughly equivalent. However, outlook suggests a forecasting of the future.

a favorable outlook for the economy

When could prospect be used to replace anticipation?

Although the words prospect and anticipation have much in common, prospect implies expectation of a particular event, condition, or development of definite interest or concern.

the prospect of a quiet weekend

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anticipation Valentin Prudon, vice-president of the Union of Hotel and Restaurant Trades and Industries (UMIH), said some establishments had experienced cancellations, while others had closed in anticipation of the demonstrations. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 Themed merchandise, collaborations and limited-edition items are already generating the kind of anticipation once reserved for sneaker releases. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026 The researchers also detected these predictive responses in two sensory-processing regions of the thalamus, suggesting that anticipation involves multiple structures beneath the cerebral cortex. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 More than one plan to reopen the Uptown has been announced with much fanfare and anticipation, only to get derailed. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anticipation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anticipation
  1. expectation
  2. expectancy
  3. expectance
Noun
  • Procter & Gamble, Lockheed Martin and CSX were among the latest companies to join the list of those topping profit expectations for the summer, and gains for their stocks helped limit the market's losses Thursday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Communications leaders can help organisations anticipate the expectations those decisions will need to meet, bringing an understanding of customer concerns and public trust into the discussion before commitments are made.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of expectation
Noun
  • And there’s this sort of strange, ghostly expectancy, which is quite weird, a mixture of apprehension and fear.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • When a call is overturned, Baseball Savant measures the difference in run expectancy between the situation before the pitch/challenge and the situation after the call is flipped.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of expectancy
Noun
  • Giannina Altuve posted video of the family celebrating the expectance of their second child on Sunday afternoon.
    — Houston Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, 11 Nov. 2019
Definition of expectance

Browse Nearby Words

anticipating
anticipation
anticipations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anticipation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anticipation. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on anticipation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anticipation

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All