What does futurist mean?
A futurist is a person who studies current trends in order to make informed predictions about the future, particularly in fields such as technology, business, culture, and society. Professional futurists work for corporations, governments, and think tanks, helping organisations anticipate change through methods like scenario planning and trend analysis. The word also has a second, historical meaning: an artist or writer associated with Futurism, the early twentieth-century Italian avant-garde movement led by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, which celebrated speed, machinery, and modernity while rejecting tradition. In contemporary usage, calling someone a futurist suggests imaginative, forward-looking thinking, though the label can attract scepticism when predictions fail to materialise. Related terms such as 'futurism', 'futuristic', and 'futurology' share its root in the Latin futurus, meaning 'about to be'. Whether describing a corporate strategist or a painter of dynamic machines, the word captures humanity's enduring fascination with what lies ahead.
A person who studies trends and developments in order to predict or speculate about the future, especially in technology, business, or society.
"The company hired a futurist to advise on how emerging technologies could transform their industry over the next decade."
An adherent or practitioner of Futurism, the early twentieth-century Italian artistic and social movement that emphasised speed, technology, and modernity.
"Italian futurists rejected the traditions of the past, celebrating the dynamism of machines and urban life in their paintings and manifestos."
This sense is primarily encountered in art history and literary criticism contexts.
Standard plural form; used for both senses of the noun.
"Several prominent futurists gathered at the summit to debate the trajectory of human innovation."
The word 'futurist' once described painters glorifying speed and machines — today it describes people paid to imagine tomorrow's world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of futurist
The word 'futurist' derives from 'future', which comes from the Latin 'futurus', meaning 'about to be' or 'going to be', the future participle of 'esse' ('to be'). It entered English usage around the mid-nineteenth century as a general term for those concerned with coming events. Its association with the Italian avant-garde movement dates from 1909, when Filippo Tommaso Marinetti published his Futurist Manifesto. Cognate terms include 'futurity', 'futurism', and 'futuristic'.
Related word forms
How futurist is actually used
In modern usage the term most often refers to professional trend forecasters and scenario planners in business and technology circles; it carries connotations of visionary thinking but is sometimes used skeptically for those whose predictions prove unreliable. The historical sense relating to Italian Futurism is largely confined to art-historical contexts.
Easily confused with futurist
A futurologist is specifically a practitioner of futures studies as a discipline, while 'futurist' can refer more broadly to any predictor of trends or to a follower of the Italian Futurist art movement.