Ante- | Meaning Of Prefix Ante- By Etymonline

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Origin and history of ante-

ante-

word-forming element meaning "before, in front of; previous, existing beforehand; introductory to," from Latin ante (prep., adv.) "before (in place or time), in front of, against," also used in compounds, from PIE *anti- "facing opposite, against," inflected form (locative singular) of root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before."

Entries linking to ante-

ante-bellum(adj.)

also antebellum, from Latin phrase ante bellum, literally "before the war;" see ante- + bellicose. In U.S., usually in reference to the American Civil War (1861-65); attested in that specific sense by 1862 (it appears in a June 14 entry in Mary Chesnut's diary).

antechamber(n.)

"chamber which gives access to a principal chamber; waiting room," 1650s, antichamber, from French antichambre (16c.), on analogy of Italian anticamera (see ante- and chamber (n.)). English spelling Latinized to ante- in 18c.

• ante-mortal
• antemundane
• antenatal
• antenuptial
• ante-room
• antipasto
• *ant-
• See All Related Words (9)

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antipasto"small portions served from a shared platter as the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal," 1929, from Italian antipasto, from anti- "before" (from Latin ante; see ante-) + pasto "food," from Latin pascere "to feed," from PIE root *pa- "to feed." Earlier Englished as antediluvian"before Noah's flood," 1640s, from Latin ante "before" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "...post-mortemThe Latin phrase ante mortem "before death" is attested in English by 1823....ancestorantecessor "predecessor," literally "fore-goer," agent noun from past-participle stem of Latin antecedere "to precede," from ante...anticipationof anticipare "take (care of) ahead of time," literally "taking into possession beforehand," from anti, an old form of ante...shadowlandpredominates in the of sinless infancy are difficulties, the solution of which might afford some probable insight into our ante-mundane...antecedentfrom Latin antecedentem (nominative antecedens), noun use of present participle of antecedere "go before, precede," from ante...denizenearly 15c., "a citizen, a dweller, an inhabitant," especially "legally established inhabitant of a city or borough, a citizen as distinguished from a non-resident native or a foreigner," from Anglo-French deinzein, denzein, (Old French deinzein) "one within" (the privileges of a cracker-jackalso crackerjack, "something excellent," 1893, U.S. colloquialism, apparently a fanciful construction; the earliest use is in reference to racing horses. Compare cracker (n.1). The caramel-coated popcorn-and-peanuts confection was said to have been introduced at the World's Columrenderlate 14c., rendren, rendre, "repeat, say again, recite; translate," from Old French rendre "give back, present, yield" (10c.) and Medieval Latin rendere, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, a variant of Latin reddere "give back, return, restore," from red- "back" (see re-) + combining fo

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/ante-CopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/ante-">Etymology of ante- by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of ante-. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/ante-CopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of ante-," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 20, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/ante-.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of ante-." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/ante-. Accessed 20 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of ante-." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/ante- (accessed January 20, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near ante-

• antarchism
• antarchy
• antarctic
• Antarctica
• Antares
• ante-
• ante
• ante meridiem
• ant-eater
• ante-bellum
• antecede

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