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.
“Hard socializing is over. Gen Z wants soft socializing: quieter, cheaper, sober-optional and good for their health,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer and futurist at the Harris Poll.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
But while the earlier work describes a futurist dystopia, “Glyph” takes place in present-day England, where the siblings Petra and Patricia Wild have reconnected after decades of grudging silence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Coined in the 1960s by a Soviet astronomer, the futurist term refers to a civilization able to use all of the energy from its home system's star.
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
A favorite futurist parlor game involves estimating the percentage of online content currently generated by machines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
“I need to send it to a man called Dr. Ben. He runs a sustainable futurist community in New York State called the Ranch.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
