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# predate

verb (predate, predates, predated, predating)

«predate» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To exist or happen earlier than something else: «Dinosaurs predate humans by millions of years.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#m1)
2. To write a date on a document that is earlier than the real day (also «backdate»). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#m2)
3. (science, of animals) To hunt and eat other animals as prey (a related word: predator). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history and science timelines it means «come before». In nature lessons «predate on» means an animal hunts others. It is the opposite of «postdate». Phrases: «predate by», «long predate», «predate on».

### Examples

- Stonehenge predates the pyramids of Giza in some of its parts. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#x1)
- The oak tree predates every house in our street. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#x2)
- Fossils show that sharks predate dinosaurs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#x3)
- Owls predate on mice and voles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#x4)
- Some stories of King Arthur predate the castles they mention. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#x5)
- Dad predated the form by mistake, so he had to fill in a new one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/#x6)

### Note

Opposite: postdate. Also spelled «pre-date». Do not confuse with «predator» (an animal that hunts). On a timeline, what predates something sits further to the left (earlier). The sense «to hunt» is used mainly by scientists.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «predate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/predate/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«predate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/predate.html) on Mova free.