backdate

verb

back·​date ˈbak-ˌdāt How to pronounce backdate (audio)
backdated; backdating; backdates

transitive verb

: to put a date earlier than the actual one on
backdate a memo
also : to make retroactive
backdate pension rights

Examples of backdate in a Sentence

an increase in salary backdated to the beginning of the year
Recent Examples on the Web Then-Mayor Abe Beame signed a City Council bill backdating the founding year on the city flag to 1625, when the first Dutch colonial settlers erected a fort in a fledgling company trading post called New Amsterdam at the southern end of Manhattan. Michael Tubridy, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2024 Testimony indicated the notes were produced and backdated a year and a half after the money was withdrawn. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 7 June 2024 However, it is backdated to July 1, 2023, when the last contract technically expired. Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 26 Apr. 2024 The federal notice establishes a framework for excluding some machinery from the taxes; a separate notice will be released with details on how companies can apply for machinery exclusions, which would be backdated to start on Wednesday and end on May 31, 2025. William Gavin, Quartz, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for backdate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backdate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backdate was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near backdate

Cite this Entry

“Backdate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backdate. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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