adjective
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denoting or relating to design, technology, etc, that is thought likely to be current or fashionable at some future time; ultramodern
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of or relating to futurism
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of futuristic
Explanation
Use the adjective futuristic to describe something so new and unfamiliar that it looks like it could come from the future. You might admire your cousin's futuristic, streamlined bicycle helmet. Something that's futuristic is designed in very modern way, like a low, sleek, futuristic car or a strange, futuristic suit of clothing. The word can also describe a work of fiction that's set in the future, like a futuristic thriller which takes place in another galaxy. When it's capitalized, Futuristic means of or about the Futurism art movement, an early twentieth century Italian group that focused on speed, technology, and contemporary industry.
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.
Although the recovery method sounds futuristic, the researchers argue it offers important advantages.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
The stadium popped in person and on TV, its distinctive, futuristic shape making it immediately recognizable in a way that not every stadium is.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Back in 2015, then-Chief Executive Brian Krzanich said Intel would be producing 10-nanometer chips—then the most futuristic in the world—within the following two years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
"I actually thought they were kind of neat – it felt futuristic," he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
It was the “newest city” of the world, Twain had written—a place where scientists, writers, philosophers, and intellectuals were gathering in cafés and salons to forge a free and futuristic society.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
