What does "future" mean?
The time ahead; those moments yet to be experienced.
Future
/ˈfjuː.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The time ahead; those moments yet to be experienced.
- Grammar: future is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: future tense, about to be, affianced, aftertime.
- Useful contrasts: historical, past, present.
- Usage evidence: The past can only be known, not changed. The future can only be changed, not known.
How to use "future"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "future" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "future" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "future" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "future" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "future" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "future tense" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "future", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The time ahead; those moments yet to be experienced. countable, uncountable
"This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the genophage that caused krogan numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire galaxy seems out to get them, the krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The surviving krogan see no point to building for the future; there will be no future. The krogan live with an attitude of "kill, pillage, and be selfish, for tomorrow we die.""
- 2 bulk commodities bought or sold at an agreed price for delivery at a specified future date wordnet
- 3 Something that will happen in moments yet to come. countable, uncountable
- 4 a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the future wordnet
- 5 Goodness in what is yet to come. Something to look forward to. countable, uncountable
"There is no future in dwelling on the past."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 the time yet to come wordnet
- 7 The likely prospects for or fate of someone or something in time to come. countable, uncountable
"Again, it's unlikely they will return to traffic, but futures have been secured for four that will be heading to heritage railways [...]."
- 8 Verb tense used to talk about events that will happen in the future; future tense. countable, uncountable
- 9 Alternative form of futures. alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
- 10 An object that retrieves the value of a promise. countable, uncountable
- 11 A minor-league prospect. countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Having to do with or occurring in the future. not-comparable
"Future generations will either laugh or cry at our stupidity."
Adjective
- 1 (of elected officers) elected but not yet serving wordnet
- 2 yet to be or coming wordnet
- 3 effective in or looking toward the future wordnet
- 4 a verb tense or other formation referring to events or states that have not yet happened wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The past can only be known, not changed. The future can only be changed, not known."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "future"?
Common synonyms include: future tense, about to be, affianced, aftertime, afterward, already in sight.
How do you use "future" in a sentence?
The past can only be known, not changed. The future can only be changed, not known.
How do you pronounce "future"?
Pronounced /ˈfjuː.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
From Middle English future, futur, from Old French futur, from Latin futūrus, irregular future active participle of sum (“I am”), 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.