1. the feeling of expecting or looking forward to something that will happen
2. the act of preparing for or dealing with something before it happens

Examples

• The children waited in anticipation for Christmas morning.
• Her anticipation of the concert made it hard to concentrate on work.
• The team’s careful anticipation of their opponent’s strategy helped them win.
• He could barely contain his anticipation before opening the letter.
• The anticipation was almost better than the actual event.
• In anticipation of rain, we brought umbrellas.
• The anticipation in the crowd was electric before the announcement.