futures

British  

/ ˈfjuːtʃəz /

plural noun

1. 1. commodities or other financial products bought or sold at an agreed price for delivery at a specified future date See also financial futures

   2. ( as modifier )

      futures contract

      futures market

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futures Cultural  

1. A contract to buy or sell a specified amount of a commodity or financial instrument at an agreed price at a set date in the future. If the price for the commodity or financial instrument rises between the contract date and the future date, the investor will make money; if it declines, the investor will lose money. The term also refers to the market for such contracts.

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Example Sentences

U.S. stock futures were flat and oil slipped in early European trade as investors awaited further details on terms of the U.S.-Iran peace deal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Stock futures were mostly unchanged, though those tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked 0.2% higher after the blue-chip index reached all-time intraday and closing highs in the previous session.

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

In practical terms, this amounts to a claim that patients must risk their lives too, given that physicians facing the loss of their professional futures and liberty will sometimes wait too long before they intervene.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

Benchmark futures were about 21% higher Friday than they were in late February, already reflecting peace expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

In other words, it’s possible the guardians managed to smuggle into our heads a lot of the basic facts about our futures.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro