anticipation

Etymology

From Middle English anticipacioun, from Latin anticipātiō, anticipātiōnem.

noun

1. The act of anticipating, taking up, placing, or considering something beforehand, or before the proper time in natural order.
   Often the anticipation of a shot is worse than the pain of the stick.
2. The eagerness associated with waiting for something to occur.
   He waited with great anticipation for Christmas to arrive.
   He waited in anticipation of the arrival of Christmas.
   November 20, 1836, Samuel Thodey, The Honour Attached to Eminent Piety and Usefulness anticipation of that final hour which he had long contemplated as near at hand
3. (finance) Prepayment of a debt, generally in order to pay less interest.
4. (rhetoric) Prolepsis.
5. (music) A non-harmonic tone that is lower or higher than a note in the previous chord and a unison to a note in the next chord.
6. (obsolete) Hasty notion; intuitive preconception.