Added 1 October 2026
future
/ˈfjuː.t͡ʃəː/ noun
In Latin: futūrum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about future at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
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Having to do with or occurring in the future.
Future generations will either laugh or cry at our stupidity.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)