future

American  

[fyoo-cher] / ˈfyu tʃər /

noun

1. time that will be or come after the present.

   In the future, the fines for these infractions may be much greater.

2. something that will exist or happen in time to come.

   The future is rooted in the past.

3. a condition, especially of success or failure, to come.

   An oracle had predicted the mighty hero's tragic future.

4. Grammar. future tense.

5. Stock Exchange. Usually futures. speculative purchases or sales of commodities to be received or delivered later on.

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adjective

1. coming or happening after the present time.

   All these decisions are uncertain, as they depend on future events.

   On some future day when you are least expecting it, I will return.

2. relating to or connected with time to come.

   I’m afraid my future plans are already made, and they don’t include farming.

3. Grammar. designating a tense or other verb construction that refers to events or states happening after the present time.

future British  

/ ˈfjuːtʃə /

noun

1. the time yet to come

2. undetermined events that will occur in that time

3. the condition of a person or thing at a later date

   the future of the school is undecided

4. likelihood of later improvement or advancement

   he has a future as a singer

5. grammar

   1. a tense of verbs used when the action or event described is to occur after the time of utterance

   2. a verb in this tense

6. from now on; henceforth

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adjective

1. that is yet to come or be

2. of or expressing time yet to come

3. (prenominal) destined to become

   a future president

4. grammar in or denoting the future as a tense of verbs

future Idioms  

1. see in the near future.

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Other Word Forms

• futureless adjective

Etymology

Origin of future

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English futur, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin fūtūrus “about to be, going to be,” future participle of esse “to be” ( see essence ( def. )); akin to Welsh bod “to be” ( see eisteddfod ( def. ))

Explanation

A time that hasn’t happened yet is the future. You're reading this in the present, and what you read by clicking on the link for the next screen will happen in the future, i.e., in the time ahead. Future goes back to the Latin root futūrus "about to be," and it is a noun or an adjective referring to things to come. When we hope, we are often imagining what will happen in the future. You might dream of becoming a doctor in the future, or you're looking forward to the weekend, just days away but still in the future. Now is the present, yesterday is the past, and tomorrow is the future, the opposite of the past.

Example Sentences

By the late 1950s, the future of computing was stymied by size.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

His most recent academic work relates to how reputational concerns impact the monetary policy External link of central banks and how current account deficits impact future generations External link.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Here’s how he might adjust his investment portfolio, along with other measures he can take to make sure his child’s future is protected.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

With the raw certainty of a medium reaching into the future — or perhaps more accurately, someone feeling a fever coming on — Sam has been anticipating Mary’s arrival.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

Because if I didn’t beat Elliot in this, he would go on to the next level of the Academy, and I’d be left behind, waiting for whatever awful future the letter forecasted to come true.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• eventual
• forthcoming
• imminent
• impending
• planned
• prospective
• subsequent
• ultimate