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

Oil prices, including Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate futures, rose around 5% on Monday amid ongoing US-Iran tensions.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

The first is that oil and gas prices are already lower today than in 2022, which applies to front-end prices and futures.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

—U.S. futures are lower on escalating tensions in the Middle East and after closing last week higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

They have significantly more social supports, from family to school to media representation, bolstering their views that they have bright futures, if they play their cards right.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

The floor of the Exchange would erupt into a flurry of trades, runners would spread the word throughout the city, and the price of goods, futures, and shares in outgoing voyages would rise or fall.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo