future tense

noun

grammar

: a verb tense that is used to refer to the future

The future tense in English is formed with "will" or "shall."

Examples of future tense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Victory is a concept that has morphed from the past to future tense. —

Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2024 One of my climate communication goals from is to kill the narrative of future tense and climate change impacts. —

Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 This can be crucial for grammatical reasons; for example, signs representing future tense are usually made with a forward motion away from the signer’s body, whereas past tense signs move the opposite way. —

Sarah Katz, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2021 Interestingly, in the 2007 renovations, the basement was discussed — in a future tense. —

Kevin Dayhoff, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 16 Oct. 2020 Artists grapple with inequities in present and future tense. —

Jenna Ross, Star Tribune, 18 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'future tense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.