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Doubt vs Anticipate - What's the difference?

doubt | anticipate |

As verbs the difference between doubt and anticipate

is that doubt is (ambitransitive) to lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect while anticipate is to act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.

As a noun doubt

is uncertainty, disbelief.

doubt

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(wikipedia doubt)
  • Uncertainty, disbelief.
  • *
    • It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts .

    Related terms

    * benefit of the doubt * beyond a shadow of a doubt * beyond doubt * beyond reasonable doubt * doubtable * doubter * doubtful * doubting Thomas * doubtless * no doubt * reasonable doubt * shadow of a doubt * self-doubt * undoubtedly * without doubt

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (ambitransitive) To lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect.
    • He doubted that was really what you meant.
  • * Hooker
    • Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we may lawfully doubt
  • * Dryden
    • To try your love and make you doubt of mine.
  • (archaic) To fear; to suspect.
  • * 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , I.186:
    • He fled, like Joseph, leaving it; but there, / I doubt , all likeness ends between the pair.
  • (obsolete) To fear; to be apprehensive of.
  • * R. of Gloucester
    • Edmond [was a] good man and doubted God.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I doubt some foul play.
  • * Spenser
    • I of doubted danger had no fear.
  • (obsolete) To fill with fear; to affright.
  • *
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
    • The virtues of the valiant Caratach / More doubt me than all Britain.

    Related terms

    * dubiety * dubious

    Statistics

    * English reporting verbs

    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