predate

Predate is a verb with two main senses. In its core meaning, it refers to occurring earlier in time than something else, i.e., to precede. This use is common in history, geology, biology, and chronology. The second sense involves dating a document or record with a date earlier than its actual date, an administrative practice often called backdating. In this sense, predating a document is typically expressed as “the contract was predated to [date].” The term can also be used as a noun in its gerund form, as in predating events, though this is less common.

Usage and examples help distinguish the senses. For example, "Dinosaurs predates humans" is incorrect; the correct form is "Dinosaurs predate humans." More broadly, "The event predates the invention of electricity." When used to describe documents, the phrase implies that the stated date is earlier than when the document was actually created or issued, which can raise ethical or legal concerns depending on context. The opposite practice is postdating or backdating.

Etymology and related terms. Predate comes from Latin praedatum, from prae- meaning before and datum meaning date. Related terms include antedate and precede, which also convey the idea of coming before in time. In contemporary usage, predating is common in formal writing when discussing the sequence of events; backdating is the preferred term for dating a document earlier than its true date, and postdating for dating it later.

See also: antedate, precede, postdate, backdate.