Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - future

~1 adj only before noun 1 likely to happen, become, or exist at a time after the present  (Careful accounting may help to predict future costs. | future wife/husband etc (=someone who will be your wife, husband etc)) 2 technical in grammar, being the form of a verb used to show a future act or state  (the future tense) 3 for future reference something kept for future reference is kept in order to be used or looked at in the future ~2 n 1 the future the time after the present  (Write an essay of 500 words describing your plans for the future. | Most science fiction stories are set in the future.) 2 in future also in the future a) at some time in the future  (In the future we will be using a much more sophisticated computer system. | in the near/immediate future (=soon))  (The recession shows no signs of easing in the immediate future. | in/for the forseeable future (=for as long as you can imagine or plan for))  (We will not be hiring anyone else in the forseeable future. | in the distant future (=a very long time ahead in the future))  (Space travel to other planets may be possible in the distant future.) b) from now until a much later time  (I'll sleep in her room in future to prevent her sleepwalking.) 3 »WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU« what someone or something will do or what will happen to them in the future  (The islands should have the right to decide their own future. | sth/sb's future is uncertain)  (For young adults in the inner cities, the future is uncertain.) 4 »POSSIBILITY OF SUCCESS« a chance or possibility of success at a later time  (I'd like to discuss my future in the company. | the future of sth)  (Ferguson is optimistic about the future of the business. | a future in sth)  (He felt there was no future in farming these days. | have a great/promising/bright future (=to seem likely to do well in a job, sport etc)) 5 the future technical in grammar, the form of a verb that shows that the act or state that has been described will happen or exist at a later time  (In the sentence, "I will leave tomorrow", the verb "will" indicates the future.) 6 futures technical goods, money, land etc that will be supplied or exchanged in the future at a time and price that has already been agreed 7 look to the future to plan for what will happen or think about what could happen in the future