futurist

noun

fu·​tur·​ist ˈfyü-chə-rist 

1

: one who studies and predicts the future especially on the basis of current trends

2

: one who advocates or practices futurism

futurist adjective

Synonyms

• diviner
• forecaster
• prophet
• mystic
• sibyl

Examples of futurist in a Sentence

economic futurists predict a new world order in which information is the resource that drives a nation's economy

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 2009 documentary Transcendent Man, the American inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil shares his thoughts on death. —Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025

This column has a companion, The AI/XR Podcast, hosted by its author, Charlie Fink, and Ted Schilowitz, former studio executive and futurist recently at Paramount and Fox, and Rony Abovitz, founder of Magic Leap. —Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

By contrast, contemporary techno-futurists like Musk lead powerful multinational corporations that influence economies and cultures across the globe. —Sonja Fritzsche, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025

The same corporate event planners who used to book futurists with hologram slide decks are now on the hunt for celebrity performers who can yank an audience out of its AI stupor for ten electrifying minutes. —Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

futurist

noun

fu·​tur·​ist ˈfyü-chə-rəst 

: a person who tries to tell what the future will be like by studying current trends