Dictionary

anterior en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /anˈtɪə.ɹi.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ænˈtɪɹ.i.ɚ/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin anterior (“that is before, foremost”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Nearer the forward end, especially in the front of the body; nearer the head or forepart of an animal.
   • Her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are torn and Vonn has a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau, the upper end of the tibia or shin bone. 2013 February 6, Jen Christiensen, “Vonn’s injury ‘career-delayer,’ not ‘career ender’”, in CNN:
   • Transillumination of anterior teeth, using the composite curing light placed labially to shine through the tooth and be viewed using the mouth mirror, shows up any cavities as dark interproximal shadows. 2013, Carole Hollins, Questions and Answers for Dental Nurses, page 44:
2. (not-comparable) Nearer the forward end, especially in the front of the body; nearer the head or forepart of an animal. ▸ (of a part of a flower or leaf) Situated further away from the mainstem.
3. (not-comparable) Nearer the forward end, especially in the front of the body; nearer the head or forepart of an animal. ▸ Pronounced with an obstruction located in front of the palato-alveolar region of the mouth, e.g. b, p, d, t.
4. (formal, not-comparable) Coming before or earlier in time or development, prior to, preceding.
   • anterior to the time when mankind have become capable of being improved by free and equal discussion. 1859, John Stuart Mill, On Liberty:

Forms

Antonyms

posterior

Deriveds

anterior triangle · anterior auricular muscle · anterior median fissure · centroanterior · mesoanterior · anterior spinal artery · anterior wall · anterior communicating artery · anterior interosseous syndrome · anterior deltoid · anterior superior iliac spine · midanterior · anteriorize · anteriorally · tibialis anterior · anterior cruciate ligament · anterior superior alveolar artery · anteriorness · anterior commissure · anterior choroidal artery · toxic anterior segment syndrome · posteroanterior · anterior scalene muscle · distoanterior · posterioanterior · dorsoanterior · lateroanterior · anteriority · anterior inferior cerebellar artery · anterior cingulate cortex · anterior pituitary gland · anterior pituitary · ventroanterior · anteriormost · occipitoanterior · anteriorward · anterior spinal artery syndrome · superoanterior · mentoanterior · duplicitas anterior · anterior cerebral artery · nonanterior · anterior chamber · anteriorly · anterior ciliary artery · inferoanterior · sacroanterior · anterior ethmoidal artery · anteriorization · antero- · medioanterior · subanterior

Relateds

past anterior · auricularis anterior

Translations (40)

ru передний (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · id anterior (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · fi edeltävä (before or earlier in time) · eo antaŭa (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · ja 先行する (before or earlier in time) · fr antérieur (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · bg предшестващ (before or earlier in time) · gl anterior (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · de vorherig (before or earlier in time) · de früher (before or earlier in time) · fi etummainen (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · pt anterior (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · cmn 前部 (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · ar أَمَامِيّ (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · ro anterior (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · el πρόσθιος (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · it anteriore (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · ja 前の (before or earlier in time) · ca anterior (before or earlier in time) · fi etu- (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · ja 先んじる (before or earlier in time) · bg преден (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · ja 優先する (before or earlier in time) · ca anterior (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · gl anterior (before or earlier in time) · uk пере́дній (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · fi aiempi (before or earlier in time) · ru предше́ствующий (before or earlier in time) · nl anterieur (before or earlier in time) · fi anteriorinen (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · fi aikaisempi (before or earlier in time) · eo antaŭa (before or earlier in time) · fi edellinen (before or earlier in time) · es anterior (before or earlier in time) · ro anterior (before or earlier in time) · de frontal (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · es anterior (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · pt anterior (before or earlier in time) · sv främre (anatomy: nearer the forward end) · de vorder (anatomy: nearer the forward end)