Legal Definitions - antedate

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.