- 1the future [singular] the time that will come after the present or the events that will happen then We need to plan for the future. What will the cities of the future look like? The movie is set in the future. The exchange rate is likely to fall in the near future (= soon). What does the future hold?
- 2[countable] what will happen to someone or something at a later time Her future is uncertain. This deal could safeguard the futures of the 2 ,000 employees. Recent events throw doubt on the president's political future.
- 3[singular, uncountable] the possibility of being successful or surviving at a later time She has a great future ahead of her. I can't see any future in this relationship.
- 4futures [plural] (finance) goods or shares that are bought at agreed prices but that will be delivered and paid for at a later time oil futures the futures market
- 5the future (also the future tense) [singular] (grammar) the form of a verb that expresses what will happen after the present Idioms
for/in the period of time when you can predict what is going to happen, based on the present circumstances The statue will remain in the museum for the foreseeable future. It's unlikely that the hospital will be closed in the foreseeable future (= soon).
from now on Please be more careful in the future. In the future, make sure the door is never left unlocked.
not a long time in the future but fairly soon I hope we'll see each other again in the not too distant future.
Check pronunciation: future