predating

Predating is the act of assigning a date to a person, document, event, or artifact that is earlier than its actual date, or of describing an event as occurring before another reference point. The word is derived from pre- meaning before and date, and it is used both in everyday language to indicate chronological precedence and in more technical contexts to discuss dating practices.

In common usage, predating can refer to two related notions. First, to describe something that genuinely occurred earlier than another event or reference point (for example, “the invention predates the discovery”). Second, to assign an earlier date to a document or event than is accurate, a practice more commonly discussed under the term backdating. Predating a document in this second sense is often viewed as problematic or illegal, especially when the earlier date is used to misrepresent timing, legitimacy, or eligibility.

Legal and ethical considerations are central to discussions of predating. In many jurisdictions, dating a contract, payroll, insurance policy, stock option grant, or other official document to a date before its creation or signing can constitute fraud or falsification. Authors and researchers distinguish between legitimate historical analysis of predating (noting that one event predates another) and illicit date manipulation intended to deceive.

See also: predates (verb), predation in historical context, backdating, postdating, dating conventions.