future

[ fyoo-cher ]

noun

1. time that will be or come after the present:

   In the future, the fines for these infractions may be much greater.

2. something that will exist or happen in time to come:

   The future is rooted in the past.

3. a condition, especially of success or failure, to come:

   An oracle had predicted the mighty hero's tragic future.

4. Grammar. future tense ( def ).
5. Usually futures. Stock Exchange. speculative purchases or sales of commodities to be received or delivered later on.

adjective

1. coming or happening after the present time:

   All these decisions are uncertain, as they depend on future events.

   On some future day when you are least expecting it, I will return.

2. relating to or connected with time to come:

   I’m afraid my future plans are already made, and they don’t include farming.

3. Grammar. designating a tense or other verb construction that refers to events or states happening after the present time.

future

/ ˈfjuːtʃə /

noun

1. the time yet to come
2. undetermined events that will occur in that time
3. the condition of a person or thing at a later date

   the future of the school is undecided

4. likelihood of later improvement or advancement

   he has a future as a singer

5. grammar
   1. a tense of verbs used when the action or event described is to occur after the time of utterance
   2. a verb in this tense
6. in future
   in future from now on; henceforth

adjective

1. that is yet to come or be
2. of or expressing time yet to come
3. prenominal destined to become

   a future president

4. grammar in or denoting the future as a tense of verbs

Derived Forms

• ˈfutureless, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of future¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English futur, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin fūtūrus “about to be, going to be,” future participle of esse “to be” ( essence ( def ) ); akin to Welsh bod “to be” ( eisteddfod ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of future¹

C14: from Latin fūtūrus about to be, from esse to be

Idioms and Phrases

see in the near future .

Example Sentences

The destruction caused by a pandemic helps to clear the way for a future resurgence.

From Axios

It seems counterintuitive because education is the best way to protect ourselves from future crises.

From Fortune

The competition is expected to remain neck-and-neck for the foreseeable future.

From Fortune

Last fall, though, as the previous round of fires ravaged California, his phone began to ring, with private-equity investors and bankers all looking for his read on the state’s future.

From ProPublica

Espina said Moreno would face future persecution if she were to return to her country.

From Washington Blade

The program has not made a final selection on which upgrades will actually be included in future versions of the F-35.

From The Daily Beast

Disordered eating is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, both in the present and in the future.

From The Daily Beast

Ass-kicking, bad guy-killing Carter is just a future spinster.

From The Daily Beast

Buzzfeed shows us a potentially terrifying glimpse of the future.

From The Daily Beast

There is, fortunately, not too much telling of the future in Harry Potter.

From The Daily Beast

And as she hesitated between obedience to one and duty toward the other, her life, her love and future was in the balance.

From Project Gutenberg

The poor must look to the brightness of a future world for the consolation that they were denied in this.

From Project Gutenberg

In future years the poor-rate (so-called) will include, in addition to these, all other rates levyable by the Corporation.

From Project Gutenberg

She embraced Otteline; and gave him her hand to kiss, with repeated expressions of future confidence in the husband of her friend.

From Project Gutenberg

In his childlike, impulsive fashion he had not thought of the future when he adopted Jean.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• destiny
• fate
• millennium
• outlook
• prospect