adj
anterior
an-TEER-ree-uh
adj
1
Located toward the front, especially of the body — nearer the head end rather than the back.
"The anterior part of the skull houses the eyes and nose."
"The doctor felt pain in the anterior chest wall."
2
Coming before something else in time or sequence.
"The anterior clause in the contract sets the terms for everything that follows."
How to Use Anterior
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAt the front (in anatomy) or earlier (in time).
Common mistake
Anterior means "front/earlier"; posterior means "back/later" — they're opposites, easy to swap by mistake.
Easily confused with
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “anterior”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ part of the skull houses the eyes and nose.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin anterior, "that which is before" — the comparative form of ante, "before."