future

Pronunciation: /ˈfju.t͡ʃɚ/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the time yet to come
  2. noun a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the future
  3. noun bulk commodities bought or sold at an agreed price for delivery at a specified future date

Etymology

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 (“to become, will be; to be”). More at be. Doublet of futur. Displaced native Old English tōweard, which took on a different meaning as toward, and Middle English afterhede (“future”, literally “afterhood”) in the given sense.

In classic literature

Synonyms

hereafter, futurity, time to come

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
time
Narrower (hyponyms)
tomorrow, offing, manana, kingdom come, by-and-by
Opposite (antonyms)
past

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