future
Pluralfutures
Pluralfutures
- 1The time that is still to come, and what will happen in it.
Like the unread pages at the end of a book you have only just started.
He worries about the future and what it might hold for his family.
Predicting the future has fascinated scientists and storytellers for centuries.
UsageUsually the future: in the future, plan for the future. In future, with no the, often means from now on.
Similartomorrow
Oppositepast
- 2Relating to or taking place in the time still to come.
The committee will discuss the proposal at a future meeting.
Future generations will inherit the consequences of today's choices.
Similarlater, coming, subsequent, upcoming, forthcoming
- 3The likely prospects of a person or thing, especially the chance of success or of good things to come.
Like reading the opening chapters of a story and sensing where the plot is headed.
Analysts are uncertain about the company's future after the merger.
A good education can shape a child's future.
UsageOften have a future or have no future, and with a possessive: the company's future.
- 4Alternative form of futures: a standardized contract, traded on an exchange, to buy or sell an asset at an agreed price on a set future date.
The fund hedged its currency risk by selling a euro future on the exchange.
The December crude oil future rose three percent in early trading.
UsageThe plural futures is far more usual, also before a noun: a futures contract. A future is one contract.
Less common meanings
- 5The verb tense used to talk about events that will happen in the time to come.
The teacher explained how the future is formed with the word 'will'.
Many languages mark the future with a special verb ending.
Oppositepast
Note
The name of the tense suits its origin: the word began as futurus, a Latin future participle of the verb to be. English builds this tense mainly with auxiliaries such as will and shall rather than with an ending on the verb. In I will go, the tense is future even though go itself never changes.
- 6A minor-league player regarded as a promising prospect for the major leagues.
- 7A programming object that retrieves the value produced by a promise once it becomes available.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Middle English future, from Old French futur, from Latin futūrus, an irregular future active participle of sum ("I am"), which traces back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ("to become, be"). It is cognate with Old English bēo ("I become, I will be") and displaced the native Old English tōweard.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 9 facts
- English future comes from Middle English future. en.wiktionary.org
- The Middle English word comes from Old French futur. en.wiktionary.org
- French futur comes from Latin futūrus. en.wiktionary.org
- Futūrus is the future active participle of the irregular Latin verb sum. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin sum means I am. en.wiktionary.org
- The futūrus stem derives from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-. en.wiktionary.org
- The reconstructed root means to become or be. en.wiktionary.org
- Future is cognate with Old English bēo, with the stated meanings. en.wiktionary.org
- Future displaced native Old English tōweard in this meaning. en.wiktionary.org