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Prospective vs Anticipate - What's the difference?

prospective | anticipate |

As an adjective prospective

is likely or expected to happen or become.

As a noun prospective

is the scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.

As a verb anticipate is

to act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.

prospective

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Likely or expected to happen or become.
    • Prospective students are those who have already applied to the university, but have yet to be admitted.
  • Anticipated in the near or far future.
  • Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect.
  • * Milton
    • Time's long and dark prospective glass.
  • Looking forward in time; acting with foresight.
  • * Sir J. Child
    • The French king and king of Sweden are circumspect, industrious, and prospective , too, in this affair.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.
  • (obsolete) A perspective glass.
    • (Chaucer)
    (Beaumont and Fletcher)
  • (informal, often plural) A (potential) member, student, employee, date, partner, etc.
    • Would you like to show the prospective around?
    I'm meeting the prospectives at 3.
  • * 2006 , Verve: The Spirit of Today's Woman , volume 14, issues 4-6, page 114:
    • At the moment, meeting interesting, 'could be, maybe not' prospectives around the globe keeps her entertained.

    References

    *

    anticipate

    English

    Verb

    (anticipat)
  • To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
    • To anticipate and prevent the duke's purpose. --R. Hall.
    He would probably have died by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace. -- .
  • to take up or introduce (something) prematurely.
    • The advocate plans to anticipate a part of her argument.
  • to know of (something) before it happens; to expect.
    • to anticipate the pleasures of a visit
    to anticipate the evils of life
    Please anticipate a journey of an hour from your house to the airport
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=31 citation , passage=The task was more to Appleby's liking than the one he had anticipated , and it was necessary, since the smaller merchants in Cuba and also in parts of Peninsular Spain have no great confidence in bankers, and prefer a packet of golden onzas or a bag of pesetas to the best accredited cheque.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
    • , date=October 2 , author=Jonathan Jurejko , title=Bolton 1 - 5 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=And with Bolton suffering a wretched run of five straight home defeats - their worst run in 109 years - Chelsea fans would have been forgiven for expecting a comfortable win.
    But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead.}}
  • to eagerly wait for (something)
    • Little Johnny started to anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus a week before Christmas.

    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.)

    Synonyms

    * (to act before someone) preclude * (to take up or introduce something prematurely) * (to know of something before it manifests) expect, foretaste, foresee * (to eagerly await something) look forward to

    Related terms

    * anticipation