Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: ANTEDATE
Definition: Antedate means to put an earlier date on something than the actual date. For example, if you write a check and put a date on it that is earlier than the day you wrote it, you are antedating the check. It can also mean something that happened before another event. For instance, a law or idea that existed before a famous court case. Antedate is also called predate. It is the opposite of postdate, which means to put a later date on something than the actual date.
Definition: To put an earlier date on something than the actual date.
Example 1: The check was antedated to make it look like it was written earlier than it actually was.
Example 2: The idea of flying cars antedates the invention of the automobile.
These examples illustrate how antedating can be used to deceive or manipulate, as in the case of the check being antedated to make it appear as if it was written earlier. The second example shows how something can exist or be thought of before the thing it is commonly associated with, in this case, the idea of flying cars before the invention of the automobile.