ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the near future

prep. phr..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. at a time that is not far away from now.

prep. phr.. a temporal adverbial phrase indicating an event or state expected to occur within a short period from the present moment.


SIMPLE

We hope to see you again in the near future.

CONTEXTUAL

The company plans to launch several new products in the near future to stay competitive.

COMPLEX

While the current economic climate remains volatile, analysts predict a stabilization of interest rates in the near future.

Usage

often used in formal or professional contexts to sound more polite than saying 'soon'.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'soon' (more direct) and 'eventually' (implies a longer, uncertain wait); it is a common collocation in business emails and news reports.

Pitfall

in near futurein the near futurethe definite article 'the' is a fixed part of this phrase and cannot be omitted.

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