- situated before or at the front of; fore (opposed to posterior).
- going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier: events anterior to the outbreak of war.
- (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial.
- (in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body.
- (in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.
- on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.
- situated at or towards the front
- earlier in time
- of or near the head end
- (of part of a flower or leaf) situated farthest away from the main stem
