1. to be of an earlier date than; to precede in time
2. to assign an earlier date to something than the actual date

Examples

• The ancient pottery antedates the Roman settlement by several centuries.
• This manuscript antedates all other known copies of the text.
• The lawyer antedates the contract to make it effective from last month.
• Archaeological evidence shows that human habitation antedates the previously assumed timeline.
• The company antedates its founding documents to qualify for certain tax benefits.
• Her discovery antedates similar findings by other researchers.
• The bank antedates the check to cover the transaction period.