upcoming
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does upcoming mean? Upcoming is used to describe something that is scheduled or expected to happen or to be presented or released in the near future. A close synonym is forthcoming.Upcoming is most often used to describe events that will happen soon, like a wedding or an election, or things that will be released soon, such as an album, movie, or new product.The term typically implies that the event will happen or the thing will arrive relatively soon, such as within a few weeks or months or within a year or so. The farther away something is, the less likely you’d be to describe it as upcoming. You also probably wouldn’t use the word for something happening tomorrow.Upcoming should not be confused with the similar-sounding term up-and-coming, which means successful and likely to become more successful.Example: There is a lot of buzz around the up-and-coming band’s upcoming album that will be released in the spring.
Etymology
Origin of upcoming
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.
Stellantis’s upcoming investor day in May will shed additional light on the future direction of the brand, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Also: As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, he will be managing the upcoming reconciliation bill.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
Analysts cut price targets following the report, with investors now focused on upcoming AI initiatives and Q1 earnings.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
That wouldn’t be unfeasible for Intel, Arcuri said, especially if the company can get “material” prepayments from customers for chips built on its upcoming 14A process node.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
The blackness of the sky began to lighten and an old peddler came out of a doorway, the creaking of his cart echoing in the silence of the upcoming dawn.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
