Predate: meaning, definitions and examples

Note: This word appeared twice in your list. It has the same meaning and context as described above.

• These fossils predate the dinosaurs.
• This tradition predated the arrival of Europeans.

Use 'precede' when you want to talk about something that comes before something else in time, order, or importance. It is widely used in both spoken and written English.

• A good introduction should precede the main body of the essay.
• Thunder often precedes lightning during a storm.

Use 'antecede' in formal or academic writing to indicate that something came before something else in time or order.

• The Victorian era anteceded the Edwardian era.
• Her tenure in office anteceded that of her successor.

Use 'forego' in literary or formal contexts to express that something came earlier or before in terms of order or sequence, often seen in historical writings.

• The events that forego this chapter are crucial for understanding the story.
• Many customs we observe today forego the modern age.

Repeated entry; already described.

Refers to the act of searching for and pursuing animals to catch or kill, often for food or sport.

• Many people hunt deer during the hunting season.
• Lions hunt in packs to take down large prey.

Indicates the act of causing the death of a living being. The word often has a more direct and sometimes negative connotation compared to 'hunt'.

• The hunter killed a bear in the mountains.
• Pollution is killing many fish in the rivers.

Used to describe the act of catching an animal, person, or object, often involving a strategy or tools.

• The researchers captured the rare bird for study.
• The police successfully captured the fugitive.

Used when referring to an animal that hunts other animals for food.

• The lion and tiger predate on smaller animals.
• Sharks predate on fish and seals.

Usually describes an animal that naturally preys on others. Can also be used metaphorically for people or entities that exploit others.

• Wolves are natural predators of deer.
• In the business world, some companies are seen as predators, taking over smaller competitors.

Refers to a person or animal that hunts animals, usually for food or sport.

• The hunter tracked the deer through the forest.
• Owls are nocturnal hunters, primarily searching for mice at night.

Often used to describe someone or something that causes death, can have a negative connotation. Can refer to both humans and animals.

• The police are searching for the killer.
• The killer whale is one of the ocean's top predators.