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
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
Researchers and futurists have been talking for decades about the day when intelligent software agents will act as personal assistants, tutors, and advisers.
—
Steven Levy, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023
Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Neither a pure nostalgic nor a futurist, Korine has long played with both the retro-analog and the digital domains, the handcrafted and the algorithmic.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2023
For instance, the most influential mass market AI book is probably 1999’s The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence, by computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil.
—Mike Pearl, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023
Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Rilke are referenced alongside Marina Tsvetaeva, the poet who gives the book its title, and Nikolai Fyodorov, a pre-revolutionary Russian futurist who believed that all human effort should be directed toward resurrecting the dead.
—Charles Arrowsmith, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
Anecdotes reigned, as did predictable but gridlocked dichotomies—technophobes versus futurists, human drivers versus computers.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023
For years, futurists have theorized that one day AI could become smarter than humans and develop its own goals, potentially leading it to harm humanity.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 25 July 2023
Two general schools of thought have emerged, each with a vastly different approach: Some futurists say terraforming large planetary bodies will be the best bet — to more closely resemble Earth-like conditions — while others say building large space habitats is more realistic.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 14 July 2023
For decades, futurists have dreamed of flying cars, with little real-world progress.
—Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 4 July 2023
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Steven Levy, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023
Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Neither a pure nostalgic nor a futurist, Korine has long played with both the retro-analog and the digital domains, the handcrafted and the algorithmic.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2023
For instance, the most influential mass market AI book is probably 1999’s The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence, by computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil.
—Mike Pearl, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023
Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Rilke are referenced alongside Marina Tsvetaeva, the poet who gives the book its title, and Nikolai Fyodorov, a pre-revolutionary Russian futurist who believed that all human effort should be directed toward resurrecting the dead.
—Charles Arrowsmith, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
Anecdotes reigned, as did predictable but gridlocked dichotomies—technophobes versus futurists, human drivers versus computers.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023
For years, futurists have theorized that one day AI could become smarter than humans and develop its own goals, potentially leading it to harm humanity.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 25 July 2023
Two general schools of thought have emerged, each with a vastly different approach: Some futurists say terraforming large planetary bodies will be the best bet — to more closely resemble Earth-like conditions — while others say building large space habitats is more realistic.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 14 July 2023
For decades, futurists have dreamed of flying cars, with little real-world progress.
—Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 4 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'futurist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near futurist
Cite this Entry
“Futurist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/futurist. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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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
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