The Zeitpyramide is an unfinished concrete pyramid. Because a block is only placed every 10 years, it is expected to be completed in 3183.
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist can be categorized as either permanent, meaning that it will exist forever, or temporary, meaning that it will end.[1] In the Occidental view, which uses a linear conception of time, the future is the portion of the projected timeline that is anticipated to occur.[2] In special relativity, the future is considered absolute future, or the future light cone.[3]
In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists and the future and the past are unreal. Religions consider the future when they address issues such as karma, life after death, and eschatologies that study what the end of time and the end of the world will be. Religious figures such as prophets and diviners have claimed to see into the future.
Future studies, or futurology, is the science, art, and practice of postulating possible futures. Modern practitioners stress the importance of alternative and plural futures, rather than one monolithic future, and the limitations of prediction and probability, versus the creation of possible and preferable futures. Predeterminism is the belief that the past, present, and future have been already decided.
The concept of the future has been explored extensively in cultural production, including art movements and genres devoted entirely to its elucidation, such as the 20th-century movement futurism.
In physics[edit]
A visualization of the future light cone (at the top), the present, and the past light cone in 2D space.
In physics, time is the fourth dimension. Physicists argue that spacetime can be understood as a sort of stretchy fabric that bends due to forces such as gravity. In classical physics the future is just a half of the timeline, which is the same for all observers. In special relativity the flow of time is relative to the observer’s frame of reference. The faster an observer is traveling away from a reference object, the slower that object seems to move through time. Hence, the future is not an objective notion anymore. A more modern notion is absolute future, or the future light cone. While a person can move backward or forwards in the three spatial dimensions, many physicists argue you are only able to move forward in time.[4]
One of the outcomes of Special Relativity Theory is that a person can travel into the future (but never come back) by traveling at very high speeds. While this effect is negligible under ordinary conditions, space travel at very high speeds can change the flow of time considerably. As depicted in many science fiction stories and movies (e.g. Déjà Vu), a person traveling for even a short time at near light speed will return to an Earth that is many years in the future.
Some physicists claim that by using a wormhole to connect two regions of spacetime a person could theoretically travel in time. Physicist Michio Kaku points out that to power this hypothetical time machine and «punch a hole into the fabric of space-time» would require the energy of a star. Another theory is that a person could travel in time with cosmic strings.
In philosophy[edit]
In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists, and the future and past are unreal. Past and future «entities» are construed as logical constructions or fictions. The opposite of presentism is ‘eternalism’, which is the belief that things in the past and things yet to come exist eternally. Another view (not held by many philosophers) is sometimes called the ‘growing block’ theory of time—which postulates that the past and present exist, but the future does not.[5]
Presentism is compatible with Galilean relativity, in which time is independent of space, but is probably incompatible with Lorentzian/Albert Einsteinian relativity in conjunction with certain other philosophical theses that many find uncontroversial. Saint Augustine proposed that the present is a knife edge between the past and the future and could not contain any extended period of time.
Contrary to Saint Augustine, some philosophers propose that conscious experience is extended in time. For instance, William James said that time is «…the short duration of which we are immediately and incessantly sensible.»[citation needed] Augustine proposed that God is outside of time and present for all times, in eternity. Other early philosophers who were presentists include the Buddhists (in the tradition of Indian Buddhism). A leading scholar from the modern era on Buddhist philosophy is Stcherbatsky, who has written extensively on Buddhist presentism:
Everything past is unreal, everything future is unreal, everything imagined, absent, mental… is unreal… Ultimately real is only the present moment of physical efficiency [i.e., causation].[6]
In psychology[edit]
Human behavior is known to encompass anticipation of the future. Anticipatory behavior can be the result of a psychological outlook toward the future, for examples optimism, pessimism, and hope.
Optimism is an outlook on life such that one maintains a view of the world as a positive place. People would say that optimism is seeing the glass «half full» of water as opposed to half empty. It is the philosophical opposite of pessimism. Optimists generally believe that people and events are inherently good, so that most situations work out in the end for the best. Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair, wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance—i.e., believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. «Hopefulness» is somewhat different from optimism in that hope is an emotional state, whereas optimism is a conclusion reached through a deliberate thought pattern that leads to a positive attitude.
Pessimism as stated before is the opposite of optimism. It is the tendency to see, anticipate, or emphasize only bad or undesirable outcomes, results, or problems. The word originates in Latin from Pessimus meaning worst and Malus meaning bad.
In religion[edit]
Religions consider the future when they address issues such as karma, life after death, and eschatologies that study what the end of time and the end of the world will be. In religion, major prophets are said to have the power to change the future. Common religious figures have claimed to see into the future, such as minor prophets and diviners.
The term «afterlife» refers to the continuation of existence of the soul, spirit or mind of a human (or animal) after physical death, typically in a spiritual or ghostlike afterworld. Deceased persons are usually believed to go to a specific region or plane of existence in this afterworld, often depending on the rightness of their actions during life.
Some believe the afterlife includes some form of preparation for the soul to transfer to another body (reincarnation).
The major views on the afterlife derive from religion, esotericism and metaphysics. There are those who are skeptical of the existence of the afterlife, or believe that it is absolutely impossible, such as the materialist-reductionists, who believe that the topic is supernatural, therefore does not really exist or is unknowable. In metaphysical models, theists generally, believe some sort of afterlife awaits people when they die. Atheists generally do not believe in a life after death. Members of some generally non-theistic religions such as Buddhism, tend to believe in an afterlife like reincarnation but without reference to God.
Agnostics generally hold the position that like the existence of God, the existence of supernatural phenomena, such as souls or life after death, is unverifiable and therefore unknowable.[7] Many religions, whether they believe in the soul’s existence in another world like Christianity, Islam and many pagan belief systems, or in reincarnation like many forms of Hinduism and Buddhism, believe that one’s status in the afterlife is a reward or punishment for their conduct during life, with the exception of Calvinistic variants of Protestant Christianity, which believes one’s status in the afterlife is a gift from God and cannot be earned during life.
Eschatology is a part of theology and philosophy concerned with the final events in the Human history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world. While in mysticism the phrase refers metaphorically to the end of ordinary reality and reunion with the Divine, in many traditional religions it is taught as an actual future event prophesied in sacred texts or folklore. More broadly, eschatology may encompass related concepts such as the Messiah or Messianic Age, the end time, and the end of days.
In grammar[edit]
In grammar, actions are classified according to one of the following twelve verb tenses: past (past, past continuous, past perfect, or past perfect continuous), present (present, present continuous, present perfect, or present perfect continuous), or future (future, future continuous, future perfect, or future perfect continuous).[8] The future tense refers to actions that have not yet happened, but which are due, expected, or may occur in the future.[9] For example, in the sentence, «She will walk home,» the verb «will walk» is in the future tense because it refers to an action that is going to, or may, happen at a point in time beyond the present.
Verbs in the future continuous tense indicate actions that will happen beyond the present and will continue for a period of time.[10] In the sentence, «She will be walking home,» the verb phrase «will be walking» is in the future continuous tense because the action described is not happening now, but will happen sometime afterwards and is expected to continue happening for some time. Verbs in the future perfect tense indicate actions that will be completed at a particular point in the future.[11] For example, the verb phrase, «will have walked,» in the sentence, «She will have walked home,» is in the future perfect tense because it refers to an action that is completed as of a specific time in the future. Finally, verbs in the future perfect continuous tense combine the features of the perfect and continuous tenses, describing the future status of actions that have been happening continually from now or the past through to a particular time in the future.[12] In the sentence, «She will have been walking home,» the verb phrase «will have been walking» is in the future perfect continuous tense because it refers to an action that the speaker anticipates will be finished in the future.
Another way to think of the various future tenses is that actions described by the future tense will be completed at an unspecified time in the future, actions described by the future continuous tense will keep happening in the future, actions described by the future perfect tense will be completed at a specific time in the future, and actions described by the future perfect continuous tense are expected to be continuing as of a specific time in the future.
Linear and cyclic culture[edit]
«The trouble with the future is that it’s so much less knowable than the past.»
John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History.[13]
The linear view of time (common in Western thought) draws a stronger distinction between past and future than does the more common cyclic time of cultures such as India, where past and future can coalesce much more readily.[14]
Futures studies[edit]
Project of an orbital colony Stanford torus, painted by Donald E. Davis
Futures studies or futurology is the science, art, and practice of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. Futures studies seek to understand what is likely to continue, what is likely to change, and what is novel. Part of the discipline thus seeks a systematic and pattern-based understanding of past and present, and to determine the likelihood of future events and trends. A key part of this process is understanding the potential future impact of decisions made by individuals, organizations, and governments. Leaders use the results of such work to assist in decision-making.
Take hold of the future or the future will take hold of you.
Futures is an interdisciplinary field, studying yesterday’s and today’s changes, and aggregating and analyzing both lay and professional strategies, and opinions with respect to tomorrow. It includes analyzing the sources, patterns, and causes of change and stability in the attempt to develop foresight and to map possible futures. Modern practitioners stress the importance of alternative and plural futures, rather than one monolithic future, and the limitations of prediction and probability, versus the creation of possible and preferable futures.
Three factors usually distinguish futures studies from the research conducted by other disciplines (although all disciplines overlap, to differing degrees). First, futures studies often examines not only possible but also probable, preferable, and «wild card» futures. Second, futures studies typically attempts to gain a holistic or systemic view based on insights from a range of different disciplines. Third, futures studies challenges and unpacks the assumptions behind dominant and contending views of the future. The future thus is not empty but fraught with hidden assumptions.
Futures studies do not generally include the work of economists who forecast movements of interest rates over the next business cycle, or of managers or investors with short-term time horizons. Most strategic planning, which develops operational plans for preferred futures with time horizons of one to three years, is also not considered futures. But plans and strategies with longer time horizons that specifically attempt to anticipate and be robust to possible future events, are part of a major subdiscipline of futures studies called strategic foresight.
The futures field also excludes those who make future predictions through professed supernatural means. At the same time, it does seek to understand the model’s such groups use and the interpretations they give to these models.
Forecasting[edit]
Forecasting is the process of estimating outcomes in uncontrolled situations. Forecasting is applied in many areas, such as weather forecasting, earthquake prediction, transport planning, and labour market planning. Due to the element of the unknown, risk and uncertainty are central to forecasting.
Statistically based forecasting employs time series with cross-sectional or longitudinal data. Econometric forecasting methods use the assumption that it is possible to identify the underlying factors that might influence the variable that is being forecast. If the causes are understood, projections of the influencing variables can be made and used in the forecast. Judgmental forecasting methods incorporate intuitive judgments, opinions, and probability estimates, as in the case of the Delphi method, scenario building, and simulations.
Prediction is similar to forecasting but is used more generally, for instance, to also include baseless claims on the future. Organized efforts to predict the future began with practices like astrology, haruspicy, and augury. These are all considered to be pseudoscience today, evolving from the human desire to know the future in advance.
Modern efforts such as futures studies attempt to predict technological and societal trends, while more ancient practices, such as weather forecasting, have benefited from scientific and causal modelling. Despite the development of cognitive instruments for the comprehension of future, the stochastic and chaotic nature of many natural and social processes has made precise forecasting of the future elusive.
In art and culture[edit]
Futurism[edit]
Futurism as an art movement originated in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. It developed largely in Italy and in Russia, although it also had adherents in other countries—in England and Portugal for example. The Futurists explored every medium of art, including painting, sculpture, poetry, theatre, music, architecture, and even gastronomy. Futurists had passionate loathing of ideas from the past, especially political and artistic traditions. They also espoused a love of speed, technology, and violence. Futurists dubbed the love of the past passéisme. The car, the plane, and the industrial town were all legendary for the Futurists because they represented the technological triumph of people over nature. The Futurist Manifesto of 1909 declared: «We will glorify war—the world’s only hygiene—militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of freedom-bringers, beautiful ideas worth dying for, and scorn for woman.»[15] Though it owed much of its character and some of its ideas to radical political movements, it had little involvement in politics until the autumn of 1913.[16]
Futurism in Classical Music arose during this same time period. Closely identified with the central Italian Futurist movement were brother composers Luigi Russolo (1885–1947) and Antonio Russolo (1877–1942), who used instruments known as intonarumori—essentially sound boxes used to create music out of noise. Luigi Russolo’s futurist manifesto, «The Art of Noises», is considered one of the most important and influential texts in 20th-century musical aesthetics.[17] Other examples of futurist music include Arthur Honegger’s «Pacific 231» (1923), which imitates the sound of a steam locomotive, Prokofiev’s «The Steel Step» (1926), Alexander Mosolov’s «Iron Foundry» (1927), and the experiments of Edgard Varèse.
Literary futurism made its debut with F.T. Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism (1909). Futurist poetry used unexpected combinations of images and hyper-conciseness (not to be confused with the actual length of the poem). Futurist theater works have scenes a few sentences long, use nonsensical humor, and try to discredit the deep-rooted dramatic traditions with parody. Longer literature forms, such as novels, had no place in the Futurist aesthetic, which had an obsession with speed and compression.
Futurism expanded to encompass other artistic domains and ultimately included painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, theatre design, textiles, drama, literature, music and architecture. In architecture, it featured a distinctive thrust towards rationalism and modernism through the use of advanced building materials. The ideals of futurism remain as significant components of modern Western culture; the emphasis on youth, speed, power and technology finding expression in much of modern commercial cinema and commercial culture. Futurism has produced several reactions, including the 1980s-era literary genre of cyberpunk—which often treated technology with a critical eye.
Science fiction[edit]
Print (c. 1902) by Albert Robida showing a futuristic view of air travel over Paris in the year 2000 as people leave the opera.[18]
More generally, one can regard science fiction as a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games, theater, and other media. Science fiction differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation). Settings may include the future, or alternative time-lines, and stories may depict new or speculative scientific principles (such as time travel or psionics), or new technology (such as nanotechnology, faster-than-light travel or robots). Exploring the consequences of such differences is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a «literature of ideas».[19]
Some science fiction authors construct a postulated history of the future called a «future history» that provides a common background for their fiction. Sometimes authors publish a timeline of events in their history, while other times the reader can reconstruct the order of the stories from information in the books. Some published works constitute «future history» in a more literal sense—i.e., stories or whole books written in the style of a history book but describing events in the future. Examples include H.G. Wells’ The Shape of Things to Come (1933)—written in the form of a history book published in the year 2106 and in the manner of a real history book with numerous footnotes and references to the works of (mostly fictitious) prominent historians of the 20th and 21st centuries.
See also[edit]
- Alternative future
- Divination
- List of emerging technologies
- Neo-futurism
- Prophecy
- Future events
- Future of an expanding universe
- Future of the Earth
- Future of the Solar System
- Timeline of the near future
- Timeline of the far future
References[edit]
- ^ Encyclopædia of religion and ethics. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. pp. 335–337.
- ^ Moore, C.-L. & Yamamoto, K. (1988). Beyond words: movement observation and analysis. New York: Gordon and Breach. p. 57. (cf., The representation of time as a linear, unidirectional progression is a distinctly Occidental point of view.)
- ^ Eddington, A. S. (1921). Space, time and gravitation; an outline of the general relativity theory. Cambridge: University Press. p. 107.
- ^ «You Can’t Travel Back in Time, Scientists Say». Live Science. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ Broad, C.D. (1923). Scientific Thought. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co.
- ^ Vol.1 of Buddhist Logic, 1962, Dover: New York. 70–71.
- ^ «agnositic». Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ «Verb tenses». English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ «Verb tenses». English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ «Verb tenses». English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ Merriam-Webster (n.d.). «Present Perfect» (Web). Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ «Verb tenses». English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ Gaddis, John Lewis (2002). The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 56. ISBN 978-0-19-517157-0.
- ^
Ridderbos, Katinka (2002). Time. Darwin College Lectures. Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-0521782937. Retrieved 2015-09-03.In a cyclic universe, each event that lies in the past of the present moment, also lies in its future.
- ^ «The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism». italianfuturism.org (Originally published on Le Figaro, Paris, February 20, 1909). 22 August 2008.
- ^ Martin, Marianne W., p .186
- ^ Warner, Daniel; Cox, CChristoph (2004). Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music. London: Continiuum International Publishing Group LTD. p. 10. ISBN 0-8264-1615-2.
- ^ Heinlein, Robert A.; Kornbluth, Cyril; Bester, Alfred; Bloch, Robert (1959). «Science Fiction: Its Nature, Faults and Virtues». The Science Fiction Novel: Imagination and Social Criticism. University of Chicago: Advent Publishers.
- ^
Marg Gilks, Paula Fleming and Moira Allen (2003). «Science Fiction: The Literature of Ideas». WritingWorld.com.
What does the word future mean?
According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word future is a noun that can either refer to undetermined events that will occur in a time to come, or the condition of a person or thing at a later date. This can also be used in grammar to refer to the future tense, one of many verb tenses which puts verbs in the tense of time to come. One can form related words by adding suffixes to make words like futures (fu-tures). Future is two syllables – fu-ture, and the pronunciation of future is ˈfjuːtʃə.
There are many different languages that also use words that mean future. You may notice that some of these translations look and sound similar to the word future. These cognates are often formed when two words of different languages share a common origin, such as Latin or Greek. This list of translations for the word future is provided by Word Sense.
- Norwegian: framtid (masc.) (f)
- Esperanto: estonteco, estonto
- Latvian: nākotne
- Kazakh: келешек, болашақ
- Latin: futurus
- Old English: toweard
- Belarusian: бу́дучыня (neut.)
- Yiddish: צוקונפֿט
- Hebrew: עתיד
- Irish: todhchaí (fem.)
- Estonian: tulevik
- Faroese: framtíð (fem.)
- Mirandese: feturo (masc.)
- Khmer: អនាគត (a’naakʊət)
- Lithuanian: ateitis (fem.)
- Korean: 미래 (mirae) (未來), 장래
- Kannada: ಭವಿಷ್ಯತ್ಕಾಲ
- Danish: fremtid (common)
- Italian: futuro, avvenire
- Norman: futur (masc.)
- Lao: ອານາຄົດ
- Kyrgyz: келечек
- Macedonian: иднина (fem.)
- Telugu: భవిష్యత్తు
- Swedish: framtid (common)
- Roman: budućnost (fem.)
- Vietnamese: tương lai (將來)
- Bulgarian: бъ́деще (neut.)
- Uzbek: kelajak
- Urdu: بهوشیه (bhaviṣya), مستقبل (mustaqbal)
- Scottish Gaelic: àm ri teachd (masc.)
- Maltese: futur
- Ido: futuro
- Tagalog: hinaharap, kinabukasan
- Thai: อนาคต (anaakót)
- Upper Sorbian: přichod (masc.)
- Afrikaans: toekoms
- Asturian: futuru (masc.)
- Romanian: viitor
- Mandarin: 未來, 未来 (wèilái), 將來, 将来 (jiānglái)
- Interlingua: futuro
- Bashkir: киләсәк
- Azeri: gələcək
- Sanskrit: भविष्य (bhaviṣya)
- Lower Sorbian: pśichod (masc.)
- Catalan: futur (masc.)
- Sicilian: futuru (masc.)
- Occitan: futur (masc.)
- Czech: budoucnost (fem.)
- Albanian: e ardhme (fem.)
- Greek: μέλλον (neut.)
- Dutch: toekomst (fem.)
- Bengali: ভবিষ্যৎ (bhôbishyôt)
- Spanish: futuro (masc.), porvenir (masc.)
- Georgian: მომავალი
- Central Mazahua: xønru̷
- German: Zukunft (fem.)
- Armenian: ապագա
- Romansch: avegnir (masc.) (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Puter, Vallader), avagnir (masc.) (Sutsilvan), avigneir (masc.) (Surmiran), futur (masc.)
- Welsh: dyfodol
- Russian: бу́дущее (neut.), гряду́щее (neut.) (dated or poetic)
- Malay: masa depan
- Sorani: دواڕۆژ, پاشهڕۆژ
- Finnish: tulevaisuus
- Cherokee: ᎤᏩᎫᏗᏗᏒ (uwagudidisv)
- Persian: آینده (âyande), آتیه (âtiye)
- Hungarian: jövő
- Burmese: အနာဂတ်
- Polish: przyszłość (fem.)
- Turkish: gelecek
- Galician: futuro (masc.)
- Cyrillic: будућност (fem.)
- Indonesian: masa depan
- French: avenir (masc.), futur (masc.)
- Gujarati: ભવિષ્યકાળ (bhaviṣyakāḷ)
- Breton: amzer-da-zont (fem.), dazont (masc.)
- Slovene: prihodnost (fem.), bodočnost (fem.)
- Sinhalese: ඉදිරිය
- Icelandic: framtíð (fem.)
- Maori: muri, āmua, anamata
- Tamil: எதிர்காலம்
- Turkmen: geljek, ýeneki
- Tajik: оянда
- Japanese: 未来 (みらい, mirai), 将来 (しょうらい, shōrai)
- Slovak: budúcnosť (fem.)
- Tatar: киләчәк
- Ukrainian: майбу́тнє (neut.)
- Volapük: fütür
- Hindi: भविष्य
- Mongolian: ирээдүй
- Oriya: ଭବିଷ୍ୟତ (bhabiṣẏata)
- Portuguese: futuro (masc.)
- Arabic: مُسْتَقْبَل (masc.)
- Hijazi Arabic: مُسْتَقْبَل
What are synonyms and antonyms of future?
There are many different words that can be used in place of the word future. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same definition as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying to avoid repeating yourself or if you are simply looking to expand your vocabulary! This list of synonyms is provided by Power Thesaurus.
- ahead
- destiny
- ensuing
- prospect
- fated
- subsequent
- fortune
- time ahead
- by-and-by
- approaching
- next
- afterlife
- in the offing
- prospective
- future tense
- morrow
- kismet
- outlook
- forthcoming
- coming
- incoming
- unborn
- posterity
- upcoming
- expected
- afterward
- planned
- subsequently
- forward-looking
- destinies
- futurity
- potential
- forward
- imminent
- time to come
- hereafter
- ulterior
- succeeding
- for the future
- impending
- come
- tomorrow
- offing
- eventual
- then
- later
- following
- destined
- fate
- anticipated
There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word future. These are called antonyms, which are also a useful English language grammatical device to know if you are trying to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus.
- latter-day
- agone
- past
- back
- retrospective
- bypast
- foregone
- other
- quondam
- gone
- erstwhile
- anterior
- instant
- late
- ago
- earlier
- ancient
- immediate
- old
- days gone by
- history
- time
- early
- present
- knightly
- recent
- yore
- inst
- last
- earlier times
- bygone
- historical
- once
- aforementioned
- one-time
- olden
- yesteryear
- bygone times
- chivalric
- departed
- antecedent
- former
- any more
- previous
- as mentioned before
- prior
- distant
- background
- historic
- existing
What is the origin of the word future?
According to Etymonline, the word future comes from the Old French futur and Latin fūtūrus, the future participle of esse and irregular future active participle of sum. This comes from the Proto-Indo-European roots bhū and bhew.
How can the word future be used in a sentence?
In the near future, commodities that currently have an agreed price could shoot up astronomically – one specific commodity could be water.
The singer didn’t know what sort of obligations the future would hold, so she decided to bond with her newborn while she could.
People made speculative purchases with their financial instrument. The sales of commodities and such an asset in bulk made sense to the commodity holder but took it away from everyone else’s future receipt.
At the time of utterance, there were no future prospects or future employment opportunities at the specified future date.
The not so distant future of the school depended on the specified date the buyer would close.
The next president believed in the laws of physics and the existence of time ,along with the apparent nature of reality, but viewed the end of time as an absolute future with his occidental view which gives a special relativity to the linear conception of time.
Overall, the word future means what is yet to come. This word is also a tense of verbs and verb formation.
Sources:
- Future definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
- future: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense
- Future synonyms – 1 077 Words and Phrases for Future | Power Thesaurus
- Future antonyms – 1 546 Opposites of Future | Power Thesaurus future | Origin and meaning of future | Online Etymology Dictionary
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do’s and don’ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Adjective
We cannot predict future events.
Future generations will benefit from this research.
Noun
We’re making plans for the future.
They will hire more people sometime in the future.
What do you think you will be doing in the future?
What does the future hold for you?
It’s impossible to predict the future.
The company faces an uncertain future.
The future was already decided for her.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Gelsinger said the company wants to pursue future advancements by developing a new lithography research program with CHIPS Act funding.
—Mike Rogoway | Mrogoway@oregonian.com, oregonlive, 6 Apr. 2023
Tigers designated hitter and likely future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera took the field in Houston for an afternoon tilt against the Astros on Wednesday, and pregame, Cabrera was honored with a Texas-sized celebration at Minute Maid Park.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 5 Apr. 2023
Companies have no influence over Wirecutter’s selections, and writers do not keep any items for personal use after testing is completed (Wirecutter does keep models of its top picks for future testing).
—John Otis, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2023
In a video released Tuesday, Ingenuity Team Lead Teddy Tzanetos spoke from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and said that the records that Ingenuity had set were allowing developers to advance future helicopter design.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2023
The 10-day mission — much like the first uncrewed Artemis I mission successfully completed in December — is paving the way for future long-term human exploration missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars.
—Tracey Harrington Mccoy, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2023
To support these organizations helping preserve film history for future generations, click the button below.
—Julia Chan, CNN, 3 Apr. 2023
The former two-time American League MVP and future Hall of Famer isn’t upset about hitting in the bottom third of the lineup.
—Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2023
Here’s hoping the Milwaukee smelt fishing tradition can continue on a similar schedule so future generations can retain this unique connection to the Lake Michigan resource.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2023
For now, neither Robinson nor Cain have inquired about their Heat futures, appreciative of the playoff race at hand.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2023
Taiwan is set to elect a new president next year, when questions about the island’s political future are bound to arise.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 6 Apr. 2023
Despite the missing actors, the panel did go ahead, with Paramount Network president of development and production Keith Cox offering some reassurance for fans about Costner’s future on the series.
—Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 4 Apr. 2023
But their future is uncertain.
—Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2023
At the Grey’s Anatomy PaleyFest event on Sunday, the 53-year-old actress exclusively opened up to PEOPLE about her future on the ABC’s long-running medical drama as cast members Ellen Pompeo and Kelly McCreary have stepped back from the series.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2023
Her offensive ability had sparked some hope about the program’s future.
—Marisa Ingemi, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2023
Then Walt and Audrey decided their future was in New York.
—Martin Guttridge-hewitt, SPIN, 3 Apr. 2023
Children who lose their native language suffer psychological, familial and cultural ruptures that affect their acquisition of English and their educational futures.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘future.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In addition, if that debate was intended to secure from the Government an intimation of future policy against Southern shipbuilding it was conducted on wrong lines for _immediate_ effect — though friends of the North may have thought the method used was wise for _future_ effect. ❋ Ephraim Douglass Adams (N/A)
But, as he gained a little strength from the genial season, the pure country air, and the release from gloomy thoughts which his rambles afforded, the end was farther removed, and a future — though brief, perhaps, still a _future_ — began to glimmer before him. ❋ Various (N/A)
Science Fiction is not about predicting or anticipating the future, it’s about helping us prepare for the future, * any future* and exploring the consequences of actions and situations. ❋ Unknown (2009)
When we pass through the inexorable gates of the future; when we pass through that vestibule where death stands opening his everlasting gates as widely to the pauper as to the king; when we pass out here into the _dim mysteries of the future_, to confront, it may be, the interrogations of the Eternal, — I apprehend _every man’s responsibility will go with him_, and no second-hand opinions will answer for us. «[ ❋ James Buchanan (1837)
Somehow he turned the fact that he «screwed up» to his advantage, though how many times he can get away with this ruse in future is open to question. ❋ Not A Sheep (2009)
But the notion that the CSD wants to grow into a licensing body so that the message going out in future is that only members should be approached for design work in future is a dangerous development. ❋ Jonathan (2006)
And we can also hope to learn much more in future from the studies of the activities of firms which have recently been initiated by the Center for ❋ Unknown (1997)
Another step on the road to equality of educational opportunity and a toe-hold into an uncertain future is the introduction — through encouragement of and cooperation with the private sector — of the first and most sophisticated microcomputer designed exclusively for educational purposes in the world. ❋ Unknown (1985)
Writer and sociologist Alvin Toffler 1970 coined the term future shock to describe the feeling of vague, continuous anxiety that arises in people who are subjected to a rapid pace of change. ❋ KARL ALBRECHT (1979)
If you’re still reading this, I’ll assume you’re either an avid gamer or want a computer that is as «future-proof» as possible, though the term future-proof is an oxymoron in itself. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Talking about doing something about the budget deficit in the future is actually helpful: it makes it clear to firms that it is in their long-term competitive interests to make maximum use of any business opportunities arising from the fiscal stimulus. ❋ Unknown (2010)
However, oil prices not rising in the future is the single most unlikely scenario in the history of scenarios — the biggest IF ever. ❋ Unknown (2010)
To be able to see the future is a huge responsibility and takes such strength that I don’t think I’d be able to do handle that weight, so no, I don’t think I’d want to see what lays in store for us (unless it let me read your books in advance-Muwahaha!) ❋ Nalini Singh (2009)
Investment in education – training people to learn the jobs of the future is a losing strategy when you consider the over-supply of college educated workers and the very real potential that even college educated labor can be outsourced as well. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Stopping consumption now because we might be cut off in the future is akin to voluntarily amputating one’s own legs today so that an enemy cannot have the chance to do so in the future. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Uncertainty about the future is a type of asymmetric information and therefore it could be construed as market failure. ❋ Unknown (2010)
[Norman] «Nick» goes to [OU] but I think he’s too stupid to realize that he no longer has [a bright future]. ❋ TurnM3Up (2019)
[CID]: Hey John what’s a future?
[Meza]: Something [you don’t] have. ❋ ThatOneLeftOutGuy (2017)
1.[21] jigawatts? 1.21 jigawatts? [Great Scott]! / [The future]. ❋ Dr. Marc Pierson (2005)
[Our future] [doesn’t look] bright right now. [And that’s] real sad ❋ Pockadotslotz (2010)
SALES AGENT: I have this awesome product made in the USA I want to sell in Europe. It’s cheap now, but what if the euro goes down against the dollar? I could lose a lot of money on inventory.
[BROKER]: No problem, just buy a future for the amount of [US dollars] you’ll need to pay your suppliers.
SALES AGENT: You mean, a [futures contract] for dollars?
BROKER: Yes, a euro-pegged future for dollars. When the contract comes due, you pay the euros, they pay you the dollars, and BOOM! You’re good to go. No risk. ❋ Abu Yahya (2010)
Dude 1: In [the future], [we will] all die.
Dude 2: Damn! That means I [wont] get to go to some other place other than here. ❋ Bligmahar (2010)
[The future‘s] [not here] now, nor [will it] be in the future. ❋ Prof. Osled (2009)
» Where is the the year 2003? The fucking [ducks] took it.»
«When?»
«In the future past!»
———————
«Why do i have to find escalaber?»
«Because [i need it] to [defecate]»
«What?!»
«FUTURE!»
——————- ❋ The X Man Reancarnation (2008)
my future is [gone] ❋ Vdiohfbt4kwjro (2021)
*I said [I’d do it] later mom
*What time later!!!!
*[I dunno]. [Sometime] in the future I guess
*********************************************** ❋ Puzzling Trials (2018)
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I like what the future holds. I don’t like thinking about the past.
John Cale
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD FUTURE
From Latin fūtūrus about to be, from esse to be.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF FUTURE
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF FUTURE
Future can act as a noun and an adjective.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.
WHAT DOES FUTURE MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Future
The future is what will happen in the time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist can be categorized as either permanent, meaning that it will exist for the whole of the future, or temporary, meaning that it won’t and thus will come to an end. The future and the concept of eternity have been major subjects of philosophy, religion, and science, and defining them non-controversially has consistently eluded the greatest of minds. In the Occidental view, which uses a linear conception of time, the future is the portion of the projected time line that is anticipated to occur. In special relativity, the future is considered absolute future, or the future light cone. In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists and the future and the past are unreal. Religions consider the future when they address issues such as karma, life after death, and eschatologies that study what the end of time and the end of the world will be.
Definition of future in the English dictionary
The first definition of future in the dictionary is the time yet to come. Other definition of future is undetermined events that will occur in that time. Future is also the condition of a person or thing at a later date.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH FUTURE
Synonyms and antonyms of future in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «FUTURE»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «future» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «future» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF FUTURE
Find out the translation of future to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of future from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «future» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
未来的
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
futuro
570 millions of speakers
English
future
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
भविष्य
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
مُسْتَقْبَل
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
будущий
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
futuro
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
ভবিষ্যৎ
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
futur
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Masa depan
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
zukünftig
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
未来の
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
미래의
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Mangsa
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
trong tương lai
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
எதிர்கால
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
भविष्य
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
gelecek
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
futuro
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
przyszły
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
майбутній
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
viitor
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
μελλοντικός
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
toekoms
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
framtida
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
framtidig
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of future
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «FUTURE»
The term «future» is very widely used and occupies the 1.291 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «future» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of future
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «future».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «FUTURE» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «future» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «future» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about future
10 QUOTES WITH «FUTURE»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word future.
Our dependence on foreign energy sources is our Achilles heel, not just in the realm of diplomacy, but in terms of our future as the world’s economic leader.
Books, I found, had the power to make time stand still, retreat or fly into the future.
We now need to look beyond our immediate future and aim higher and farther.
Any kid that feels like they don’t have any kind of future, whether they’re on a street corner in Harlem or in a little town in Kansas where nothing happens, it’s all out there for them. They can do whatever they dream or wish or see on television, or read about in the papers.
In the future, I’m sure there will be a lot more robots in every aspect of life. If you told people in 1985 that in 25 years they would have computers in their kitchen, it would have made no sense to them.
When there were fears about the future of this nation’s older cities… when a few of the cities teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, all eyes were focused on Chicago for contrast.
I like what the future holds. I don’t like thinking about the past.
The future of 3D will be defined by TV.
Texans deserve better than failed leaders who dole out favors to friends and cronies behind closed doors. It’s time for a governor who believes that you don’t have to buy a place in Texas’ future. It’s time for a governor who believes that the future of Texas belongs to all of us.
With the continued support of citizens who refuse to accept inaction at the expense of future generations, we will lead the world toward a sustainable future.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «FUTURE»
Discover the use of future in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to future and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
Predicts the pace of environmental change during the next thirty years and the ways in which the individual must face and learn to cope with personal and social change
Jaron Lanier is the father of virtual reality and one of the world’s most brilliant thinkers.
3
Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia and …
Jameson’s essential essays, including «The Desire Called Utopia,» conclude with an examination of the opposing positions on utopia and an assessment of its political value today.Archaeologies of the Future is the third volume, after …
4
Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny …
From the Hardcover edition.
5
Future Babble: Why Pundits Are Hedgehogs and Foxes Know Best
«Genuinely arresting . . . required reading for journalists, politicians, academics, and anyone who listens to them.» -Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works We are awash in predictions.
6
The Future of Management
Through history, management innovation has enabled companies to cross new performance thresholds and build enduring advantages. In The Future of Management, Gary Hamel argues that organizations need management innovation now more than ever.
Gary Hamel, Bill Breen, 2013
While the contributors to this volume are enthusiastic about the possibilities created by digital technologies, they also see the new meida raising serious critical issues that force us to reexamine basic notions about rhetoric, reading, …
8
Five Minds for the Future
In Five Minds for the Future, bestselling author Howard Gardner shows how we will each need to master «five minds» that the fast-paced future will demand: · The disciplined mind, to learn at least one profession, as well as the major …
9
Future Matters: Action, Knowledge, Ethics
Future Matters concerns contemporary approaches to the future — how the future is known, created and minded.
Barbara Adam, Chris Groves, 2007
10
The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and …
Prescient in laying out the distinction between democracy and liberty, the book contains a new afterword on the United States’s occupation of Iraq and a wide-ranging update of the book’s themes.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «FUTURE»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term future is used in the context of the following news items.
Greece’s eurozone future uncertain as Germany steps up pressure
Fraught negotiations in Brussels over a €86bn bailout package at the weekend created fresh uncertainty for Greece’s future in Europe’s … «Financial Times, Jul 15»
Comic Con 2015: Marvel Has Plans for Future Console Games
«We are very much focused on what our console strategy will be for the future,» said Mike Jones, producer at Marvel Games. «Obviously console … «IGN, Jul 15»
New political battle over the BBC’s future to begin next week
Government sources said the issue of the licence fee had probably been broadly settled but that the future size of the BBC might have an … «The Guardian, Jul 15»
‘The future is now’: can Marco Rubio broaden Republican appeal …
Marco Rubio was working the crowd, shaking hands, engaging in small talk and snapping selfies with eager fans. A few feet away, an elderly … «The Guardian, Jul 15»
Graham: Trump is a ‘wrecking ball’ for future of GOP
In response to Trump’s recent derogatory comments about Mexican immigrants, Graham says his rival is a «wrecking ball» for the future of the … «Boston Herald, Jul 15»
Hereford FC supporters crucial to future of phoenix club
Hereford United Supporters Trust chief Chris Williams says the return of the reformed club to their home at Edgar Street will be a «big … «BBC Sport, Jul 15»
Virtual Reality Porn And The Future Of Loneliness
This weird future isn’t some far-off fantasy anymore. It’s right around the corner. If you’ve already got your hands on an Oculus Rift, a Samsung … «TechCrunch, Jul 15»
The Future Is Now! (My Renewable Cities Opening Night Prez)
That’s a phrase I love on so many levels. I’ve got another presentation in my repertoire more tailored to that phrase, but for my PechaKucha … «CleanTechnica, Jul 15»
Low tax and high fees consume Future Fund
The Future Fund found itself in the headlines, too. But while many of the other entities detailed in the documents remained silent, the fund was … «Financial Times, Jul 15»
Giovani Dos Santos quiet on his future plans, says Mexico’s Miguel …
«We had a chat and he’s not confirmed anything definitive [about his future],» Herrera said in Saturday’s news conference, ahead of Sunday’s … «ESPN FC, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Future [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/future>. Apr 2023 ».
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