English Reference
adjective

upcoming

adj.
US /ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ/ UK /ʌpkˈʌmɪŋ/ up·com·ing

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    happening or appearing in the near future.

    occurring or appearing in the relatively near future; typically used to describe scheduled events or releases.

    Simple

    We are all very excited about our upcoming trip to Japan next month.

    In context

    The marketing department is currently finalising the promotional strategy for the upcoming product launch scheduled for early September.

    Usage

    Almost always placed before the noun it describes.

    Teacher's tip

    While 'upcoming' and 'forthcoming' are similar, 'upcoming' is more common in general and American English, whereas 'forthcoming' can feel slightly more formal or British.

    Pitfall
    The upcoming of the movie is Friday. The upcoming movie is released on Friday.

    Upcoming is an adjective used before a noun, not a noun itself.

Many believe the upcoming season, which begins next month, could be his last.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

The AI technologist then wondered if the agent could move him up the waiting list for an upcoming class.

BBC News· 11 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From up + coming.

Etymology 2

From upcome + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated