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

Now, however, Silicon Valley venture capitalists, futurists, East Coast entrepreneurs, and pronatalists — who fear falling birth rates pose an existential threat to the human race — are eager to push the technology forward. —Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025

Ramsey, a futurist, author and entrepreneur, was a legislative aide to Sen. John Kerry. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2025

Likewise, planning cannot be delegated to futurists and technical experts sent to a far-off bunker to spend months crafting detailed plans in isolation. —Matan Chorev, Foreign Affairs, 22 July 2025

The band quickly gained a reputation as futurists, but credited their success to generational resonance rather than to innovation. —Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 7 July 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