v. /an"ti dayt', an'ti dayt"/ ; n. /an"ti dayt'/ , v. , antedated, antedating , n.
v.t.
1. to be of older date than; precede in time: The Peruvian empire antedates the Mexican empire.
2. predate (def. 1).
3. to assign to an earlier date: to antedate a historical event.
4. to cause to return to an earlier time: to antedate one's thoughts by remembering past events.
5. to cause to happen sooner; accelerate: The cold weather antedated their departure from the country.
6. Archaic. to take or have in advance; anticipate.
n.
7. a prior date.
[ 1570-80; earlier antidate antidater, deriv. of antidate a date earlier than the true date (by assoc. with anté- ANTE-), orig. a date put in place of another date; see ANTE-, DATE 1 ]