anterograde

adj

"anterograde" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“anterograde” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Effective immediately after a traumatic event such as an external shock.

Corpus desk

Index EN-anterograde · anterograde · English

anterograde · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for anterograde
PropertyValue
Headwordanterograde
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “anterograde” in English

anterogradefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

anterograde is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

anterograde doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From antero- + -grade (“direction”) from Latin gradus (“pace, step”). The correct English form is anterograde, spelled A-N-T-E-R-O-G-R-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Effective immediately after a traumatic event such as an external shock.
  2. 2
    Moving or occurring in the normal forward or downstream direction of.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how anterograde appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Anterograde amnesia is a loss of the ability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia.
  2. Movement of mitochondria and other cell parts from a neuron's cell body toward the synapse is called anterograde transport.

Etymology

From antero- + -grade (“direction”) from Latin gradus (“pace, step”).

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "anterograde"?
"anterograde" is spelled A-N-T-E-R-O-G-R-A-D-E.
What does "anterograde" mean?
As an adjective, "anterograde" means: Effective immediately after a traumatic event such as an external shock.
What is the origin of the word "anterograde"?
From antero- + -grade (“direction”) from Latin gradus (“pace, step”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list