Anticipation is the act of using information about the past and present to make predictions about future scenarios. As a concept, it is predominantly associated with the psychology of the human mind; however, there is accumulating evidence that diverse taxa without complex neural systems, and even biochemical networks themselves, can respond to perceived future conditions. Although predictive biological responses, such as circadian rhythms and stress preconditioning, have been extensively studied over the last century, newer research on predictive genetic networks in microbes have highlighted the existence of anticipatory processes in older, more primitive taxa. When taken together, these seemingly disparate processes can be connected based on a shared anticipatory design. This review discusses the important and often overlooked role of anticipation in the evolution of biological designs, and advocates for establishing a fundamental distinction between anticipatory and reactive processes as an effort to advance our understanding of complex biological processes.