futurist
Americannoun
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(sometimes initial capital letter) a follower of futurism, especially an artist or writer.
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Theology. a person who maintains that the prophecies in the Apocalypse will be fulfilled in the future.
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Also futurologist a person whose occupation or specialty is the forecasting of future events, conditions, or developments.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of futurist
From the Italian word futurista, dating back to 1835–45. See future, -ist
Explanation
A futurist is someone who studies and predicts events in the future. A futurist might predict, based on past and current trends, which brands of cars will be most popular in 30 years. There are many different kinds of futurists, from scientists who forecast the future effects of climate change to marketers who try to anticipate what teenagers will be desperate to spend money on in five years. All futurists have in common a focus on the future — and sociologists who are futurists call their field futurology. The earliest definition of futurism referred to the early 20th century art movement known as futurism.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There is clearly a shift from fitness tracker and fitness novelty to embedded health device,” said Shawn DuBravac, a futurist and former chief economist for the Consumer Technology Association.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
Just 20% of smartphone users have used an AI agent application on their phones, according to ARK Investment Management’s chief futurist Brett Winton.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
“Any entertainment experience worth having is going to be a hybrid of spatial and digital,” says Bechtel, futurist and professor of corporate innovation at the University of Notre Dame.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
On one hand, a sycophantic companion can simply make intimacy feel less realistic, according to futurist Cathy Hackl.
From Slate • Sep. 25, 2025
Did the ballroom speaker, the futurist guy, have something to do with what’s going on?
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
