future
1 of 2adjective
fu·ture ˈfyü-chər 
1
: that is to be
specifically : existing after death
On religion (by which he chiefly means Christianity), [philosopher Michael] Oakeshott is subtle. … He deprecates the doctrine of a future life, not as being impossible, but because it distracts people from the unique importance of the life they have. 
Charles Moore
Charles Moore 2
: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense expressive of time yet to come
a verb in the future tense
"will" and "shall" are used as future auxiliaries
3
: existing or occurring at a later time
We cannot foretell future events.
… the chance meeting one day of your future spouse … Robert W. Lucky
Robert W. Luckyfuture
2 of 2noun
1
a
: time that is to come
b
: what is going to happen
2
: an expectation of advancement or progressive development
3
: something (such as a bulk commodity) bought for future acceptance or sold for future delivery —usually used in plural
grain futures
4
a
: the future tense of a language
b
: a verb form in the future tense
Synonyms
Adjective
- coming
- unborn
Noun
- by-and-by
- futurity
- hereafter
- offing
- tomorrow
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective We cannot predict future events. Future generations will benefit from this research. Noun We're making plans for the future. They will hire more people sometime in the future. What do you think you will be doing in the future? What does the future hold for you? It's impossible to predict the future. The company faces an uncertain future. The future was already decided for her. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 Perhaps something has changed culturally, whereby potential parents are less interested in spending their time and money raising future generations. WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Aside from discovering ingenuity in uncharted territory, Ruth also owes much of his inspiration to his seven-year-old son, who inspires him to continue forging a positive path for future generations. Town & Country, 7 Sep. 2022 These motivations include the thrill of competition, human altruism, a thirst for adventure, a joy of discovery and creativity, a concern for future generations, and a desire for meaning in one’s life, among many others. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 Should the government take steps to make the planet habitable for future generations? River Clegg, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2022 One theory is that the symbiotic nitrogen relationship started out long ago as a bacterial infection, and those ancestor plants derived a benefit that was carried through to future generations. Matt Simon, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2022 For nearly 15 years, Arizona Bach Festival has hosted its annual event to inspire future generations of classical music artists. Roxanne De La Rosa, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2022 Painted in opaque colors of red, orange, blue and yellow for the last few decades, Third Avenue’s image is being revamped to a more modern aesthetic for future generations to appreciate. Roxana Becerril, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2022 Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 There, the Medici pope began making plans for his niece’s future. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 The future of the conference — and major college football — likely will be determined in the next six weeks. oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2022 Yellen spoke at a time of transition for Ford into the electric vehicle future, which has included layoffs at the company. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 Little will mean more to this season — and the Bears’ future — than Fields’ ability to increase his command. Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Fortifying China’s grid for a more renewable, more volatile future is going to be a key task of the government for years. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 To trace psychedelics’ potential future, Yaden, Griffiths, and Potash looked to a model called the Gartner Hype Cycle, which can be used to characterize the trend cycle of new technologies, like virtual reality or 4D printing. WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022 Does anyone really see a future—or even a present—for the likes of Litecoin, Tron, or EOS? Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2022 See More
Adjective
Moreover, Dearing, who competes for Great Britain in open water distance swimming, emphasized the impact the ban could have on the Black community, including future generations of aspiring swimmers. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 Perhaps something has changed culturally, whereby potential parents are less interested in spending their time and money raising future generations. WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Aside from discovering ingenuity in uncharted territory, Ruth also owes much of his inspiration to his seven-year-old son, who inspires him to continue forging a positive path for future generations. Town & Country, 7 Sep. 2022 These motivations include the thrill of competition, human altruism, a thirst for adventure, a joy of discovery and creativity, a concern for future generations, and a desire for meaning in one’s life, among many others. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 Should the government take steps to make the planet habitable for future generations? River Clegg, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2022 One theory is that the symbiotic nitrogen relationship started out long ago as a bacterial infection, and those ancestor plants derived a benefit that was carried through to future generations. Matt Simon, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2022 For nearly 15 years, Arizona Bach Festival has hosted its annual event to inspire future generations of classical music artists. Roxanne De La Rosa, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2022 Painted in opaque colors of red, orange, blue and yellow for the last few decades, Third Avenue’s image is being revamped to a more modern aesthetic for future generations to appreciate. Roxana Becerril, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2022 Noun
Civilians die every day in Russian shelling and missile attacks, but most casualties are young military men who represented Ukraine’s future. Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2022 There, the Medici pope began making plans for his niece’s future. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 The future of the conference — and major college football — likely will be determined in the next six weeks. oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2022 Yellen spoke at a time of transition for Ford into the electric vehicle future, which has included layoffs at the company. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 Little will mean more to this season — and the Bears’ future — than Fields’ ability to increase his command. Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Fortifying China’s grid for a more renewable, more volatile future is going to be a key task of the government for years. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 To trace psychedelics’ potential future, Yaden, Griffiths, and Potash looked to a model called the Gartner Hype Cycle, which can be used to characterize the trend cycle of new technologies, like virtual reality or 4D printing. WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022 Does anyone really see a future—or even a present—for the likes of Litecoin, Tron, or EOS? Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin futurus about to be — more at be
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing future
Kids Definition
future 1 of 2
adjective
fu·ture ˈfyü-chər
: coming after the present
future events
future
2 of 2noun
1
: the period of time that is to come
What will happen in the future?
2
: the chance of future success
You have a bright future.
Legal Definition
future
noun
fu·ture
: a contract traded on an exchange in which a party agrees to buy or sell a quantity of a bulk commodity (as soybeans) at a specified future date and at a set price —usually used in pl.
Note: If the price of the commodity has gone up when the future date arrives, the buyer in the contract profits. If the price has gone down, the seller profits.
future 1 of 2
noun
1
as in futurity
time that is to come in the future, there may be medical discoveries that are beyond our fondest dreams Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- futurity
- tomorrow
- offing
- finality
- posterity
- hereafter
- eventuality
- by-and-by
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- past
- present
- today
- yesterday
- yesteryear
- moment
- antiquity
- old
- yore
- now
2
as in fate
what is going to happen to someone in the time ahead with such a strong academic record, his future looks bright Synonyms & Similar Words
- fate
- destiny
- circumstance
- fortune
- prospect
- outlook
- doom
- portion
- futurities
- lot
- hap
- kismet
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- past
- present
future
2 of 2adjective
as in coming
of a time after the present we must preserve our national parks in all their glory so that future generations can experience the majesty of nature Synonyms & Similar Words
- coming
- upcoming
- subsequent
- later
- unborn
- prospective
- forthcoming
- approaching
- impending
- eventual
- imminent
- oncoming
- after
- projected
- anticipated
- expected
- predicted
- awaited
- nearing
- pending
- final
- ensuing
- planned
- posterior
- last
- ultimate
- ulterior
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- past
- previous
- bygone
- ancient
- prior
- precedent
- anterior
- olden
- preceding
- antecedent