What is the term used for an invention considered to lack novelty?

An invention that is deemed to lack novelty is referred to as anticipated. In patent law, an invention is considered anticipated if it has been previously disclosed in a prior art reference, meaning that the same invention has already been made public, thus failing to meet the novelty requirement for patentability. The concept of anticipation is crucial because a patent can only be granted for an invention that is new, meaning it has not been publicly disclosed before the filing date of the patent application. If a piece of prior art describes the same invention, the new application cannot be patented due to this lack of novelty, marking it as anticipated.