antedate

Antedate is a verb meaning to assign a date earlier than the actual date of an event or document, or to precede in time. In archival, administrative, legal, and historical contexts, the term is used to indicate that something is earlier in time than a reference point. The action can be descriptive when recording history, or could be deliberate to reflect a previous agreement, event, or occurrence.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin ante- "before" and data "given" or "date." The form antedated is commonly used as the past tense, and antedating as the present participle.

Usage notes: Antedating a document is distinct from postdating or backdating. It can be neutral when documenting chronology, but it can raise ethical or legal concerns if the date is altered to mislead, evade deadlines, or conceal the true timing of an agreement or payment.

Examples: A contract signed on March 5 but antedated to February 28 to reflect an earlier effective date; a letter from 1950 antedating a reference to events that occurred that year. In records management and archival work, antedating may be used to reflect the actual sequence of events when clocks were inaccurate.

See also: Backdating, Postdating, Predate, Dating.