Definition

1. Verb:
   • To establish something as being earlier relative to something else: To assign a date to an event, document, or object that is earlier than its actual or previously assigned date.
   • To prey on or hunt for: To hunt and kill another animal for food.
   • To be earlier in time; to come before something else: To exist or occur at an earlier time than something else.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (To establish an earlier date):

  • The historian discovered evidence that seemed to predate the official founding of the city.
  • He attempted to predate the check to avoid a late fee.

• Verb (To prey on):

  • Owls predate on small rodents like mice and voles.
  • This species of spider predates insects much larger than itself.

• Verb (To be earlier in time):

  • The invention of the wheel predates recorded history.
  • These geological formations clearly predate the volcanic activity in the region.

Advanced Usage

• In historical/archaeological contexts: Often used to discuss the chronological order of artifacts, events, or species.
  • Fossil evidence suggests that feathered dinosaurs predate modern birds.
• In legal or financial contexts: Refers to the act of backdating a document.
  • It is illegal to predate an insurance claim form.

Variants and Related Words

• Predation (n): The act of preying on other animals.
  • The study focused on the predation habits of wolves.
• Predator (n): An animal that naturally preys on others.
  • The lion is an apex predator.
• Predatory (adj): Relating to or characterized by plundering, preying on others.
  • The company was accused of predatory pricing.

Synonyms

• Antedate: To precede in time; to assign an earlier date. (For meanings 1 and 3)
• Precede: To come before in time, order, or position. (For meaning 3)
• Prey on: To hunt and kill for food. (For meaning 2)

Antonyms

• Postdate: To occur or be dated at a later time than something else.

Notes on Different Meanings

The verb predate has three distinct meanings that are not interchangeable. The intended meaning is usually clear from the context: 1. The "assign an earlier date" meaning is often used in administrative, legal, or historical contexts. 2. The "prey on" meaning is used in biological and ecological contexts. 3. The "come before in time" meaning is a general chronological term. In this sense, it is synonymous with precede, though precede is often preferred in formal writing.

Verb

1. establish something as being earlier relative to something else
2. prey on or hunt for
   • These mammals predate certain eggs
3. come before
   • Most English adjectives precede the noun they modify
4. be earlier in time; go back further
   • Stone tools precede bronze tools