Etymology

anticipatory obedience

Today it means: A situation where one attempts to predict expectations others (particularly superiors) have, without explicit communication, and to fulfill (or exceed) those expectations. Full definition →

German vorauseilender Gehorsam
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The story

  1. German · calque ofvorauseilender Gehorsam
  2. English todayanticipatory obedience

Semantic calque of German vorauseilender Gehorsam (literally “running ahead/in front of obediently”). Constructed from anticipatory + obedience.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.