toward the front or forward part of something; in anatomy, toward the front of the body.
From Latin 'anterior' meaning 'former' or 'in front,' from 'ante' meaning 'before,' which also gave us 'antique,' 'anticipate,' and 'ancient.'
Medical language preserved Latin, so doctors still use 'anterior' and 'posterior' instead of 'front' and 'back'—it's how professional languages keep ancient words alive in modern practice.
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