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. Lucky1
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
Examples of future in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the WebDevlin Barrett, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The group is focused on building a vehicle that will allow Artemis astronauts to safely navigate the lunar surface to conduct experiments and prepare the Moon for future human missions to Mars, according to a press release.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
The findings brought into question all the allegedly predictive surveillance of posture, not to mention all the devices and treatments sold to Americans with the promise of averting future pain.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Kentucky had nine future NBA players on its roster.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
The ceremony is overseen by someone in a Ku Klux Klan costume and attended by a collection of weirdos, including a young man in drag — not Divine, as Waters had not yet met his future muse.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Tammy hopped on the post to publicly share her excitement for her son and her future daughter-in-law.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Following the verdict, Marvel dropped Majors from future productions as the Marvel villain.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
—Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Kai McNamee, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
The ultra-low-cost airline has been facing questions about its future after losing money in the past six quarters despite booming travel demand.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Rihanna is a mother of two, but that number could be increasing in the near future.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
The developer behind Solé Mia sees a bright future ahead for Miami.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
For those hoping to rid of their glasses in the near future, different organizations across the U.S. and Canada are accepting the shades as donations, including nonprofits Astronomers Without Borders and Eclipse Glasses USA.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The solution for both of those scenarios can come from one talented prospect, but the Panthers need to find that guy to help the coverage unit for the foreseeable future.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
But the United States, which funded 30 percent of the agency’s budget, passed legislation last month barring contributions through at least March 2025 — leaving UNRWA short hundreds of millions of dollars and facing an uncertain future.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Two years after clenching a historic victory at a warehouse in New York City, the first labor union for Amazon workers in the United States is divided, running out of money and fighting over an election that could determine who will lead the group in the near future.
—Haleluya Hadero, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The letter also warned that turning over the recordings could have a chilling effect on future attempts by the Justice Department to interview other high-profile people or officials for sensitive investigations.
—Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The group is focused on building a vehicle that will allow Artemis astronauts to safely navigate the lunar surface to conduct experiments and prepare the Moon for future human missions to Mars, according to a press release.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
The findings brought into question all the allegedly predictive surveillance of posture, not to mention all the devices and treatments sold to Americans with the promise of averting future pain.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Kentucky had nine future NBA players on its roster.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
The ceremony is overseen by someone in a Ku Klux Klan costume and attended by a collection of weirdos, including a young man in drag — not Divine, as Waters had not yet met his future muse.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Tammy hopped on the post to publicly share her excitement for her son and her future daughter-in-law.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Following the verdict, Marvel dropped Majors from future productions as the Marvel villain.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
—Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
The new lunar time zone, Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), is all about ensuring the success of future, multinational missions to the moon, said Michelle Hanlon, the executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi.
—Kai McNamee, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
The ultra-low-cost airline has been facing questions about its future after losing money in the past six quarters despite booming travel demand.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Rihanna is a mother of two, but that number could be increasing in the near future.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
The developer behind Solé Mia sees a bright future ahead for Miami.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
For those hoping to rid of their glasses in the near future, different organizations across the U.S. and Canada are accepting the shades as donations, including nonprofits Astronomers Without Borders and Eclipse Glasses USA.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The solution for both of those scenarios can come from one talented prospect, but the Panthers need to find that guy to help the coverage unit for the foreseeable future.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
But the United States, which funded 30 percent of the agency’s budget, passed legislation last month barring contributions through at least March 2025 — leaving UNRWA short hundreds of millions of dollars and facing an uncertain future.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Two years after clenching a historic victory at a warehouse in New York City, the first labor union for Amazon workers in the United States is divided, running out of money and fighting over an election that could determine who will lead the group in the near future.
—Haleluya Hadero, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'future.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of future was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing future
Articles Related to future
Dictionary Entries Near future
Cite this Entry
“Future.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/future. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
future
1 of 2 adjective
fu·ture
ˈfyü-chər 
1
: coming after the present
future events
2
: of, relating to, or being a verb form in the future tense
future
2 of 2 noun1
a
: time that is to come
sometime in the future
b
: what is going to happen
predict the future
2
: expectation of future success
a promising future
3
: something (as a commodity) bought or sold for delivery at a future time
—usually used in plural
grain futures
4
a
b
: a verb form in the future tense
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English future "future," from early French futur (same meaning) and Latin futurus "about to be," from the Latin verb esse "to be"
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.
More from Merriam-Webster on future
Nglish: Translation of future for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of future for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about future
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