noun

futures

/ˈfjuːtʃərz/ · say it: FYOO·churz

contracts to buy or sell an asset at a set future date and price

In Banking & Finance

In more detail

1. (noun) contracts to buy or sell a commodity or financial product at a fixed price on a future date

2. (noun) the plural of future; things that will happen in the time to come

Examples

1. She trades oil futures on the stock market.
2. The futures of these young athletes look very promising.

How to use futures

In finance, 'futures' refers specifically to standardized contracts traded on exchanges for delivery of commodities or financial instruments at a set future date and price. In general English, 'futures' means the plural of future, referring to potential outcomes or events to come. The financial sense is technical and typically used by traders, investors, and financial professionals, while the general sense is common in everyday speech.

Common phrases

futures market
futures contract
trading futures
futures prices
financial futures
commodity futures

Synonyms

forward contracts · derivatives · commodities · prospects · possibilities

Word family

future (noun/adjective) · futuristic (adjective) · futurity (noun)

A common mistake

Learners often confuse 'futures' (contracts) with 'options' (which grant the right, not the obligation, to buy or sell) or fail to recognize that the financial term is a count noun requiring 'a futures contract' rather than just 'a futures'.

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