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future

n. · adj.
US //ˈfjutʃɝ// UK //fjˈuːtʃɐ// fu·ture
  1. 1 time ahead (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the time that will come after the present.

    the period of time following the present moment. Uncountable in this general sense.

    Example

    No one can predict exactly what will happen in the future.

    Example

    Philosophers have long debated whether the future is a fixed path or a series of branching possibilities determined by current actions.
    Pitfall
    I am worried about future.
    I am worried about the future.

    When referring to the time ahead in general, you almost always need the definite article 'the'.

  2. 2 prospects or fate (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the chance of being successful or what will happen to someone later.

    the likelihood of success or the specific destiny of a person or entity.

    Example

    The young athlete has a bright future in professional tennis.

    Example

    The merger left many employees uncertain about their future within the newly restructured corporation.
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  1. 3 grammar (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Grammar

    the form of a verb used to talk about things that will happen.

    a verb tense or aspect used to express action or state in time yet to come.

    Example

    In English, we often use 'will' to form the future.

    Example

    The teacher explained that while English lacks a morphological future, it employs various auxiliary constructions to indicate subsequent events.
    • future tense
    • past tense
    • present tense
  2. 4 finance (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Law

    an agreement to buy something at a fixed price now but deliver it later.

    a financial contract obligating the buyer to purchase an asset at a predetermined future date and price.

    Example

    He made a lot of money trading oil futures on the stock market.

    Example

    Investors often use futures to hedge against price volatility in the commodities market, ensuring a stable cost for raw materials.

    Usage

    Usually used in the plural form 'futures'.
    • futures contract
  3. 5 computing (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a placeholder for a result that is being calculated and will be ready later.

    an object that acts as a proxy for a result that is initially unknown because its computation is yet incomplete.

    Example

    The program uses a future to handle the data while it downloads in the background.

    Example

    By utilizing futures and promises, the developer managed to implement asynchronous calls without blocking the main execution thread.
  4. 6 happening later (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    describing something that will exist or happen at a later time.

    relating to or happening in the time to come. Attributive use only; it typically precedes the noun.

    Example

    We need to protect the environment for future generations.

    Example

    The city council is reviewing future development plans to ensure the infrastructure can support a growing population.
Origin

From Middle English future, futur, from Old French futur, from Latin futūrus, irregular future active participle of sum (“to be”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to become, be”). Cognate with Old English bēo (“I become, I will be, I am”). More at be. Displaced native Old English tōweard, which took on a different meaning as toward, and Middle English afterhede (“future”, literally “afterhood”) in the given sense.

Word family

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