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Glite Dictionary
futurology

futurology

1 9.0
The study of future changes based on present trends
  • noun
  • /ˌfjuːtʃəˈrɑːlədʒi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : futurología
  • It may be fun in fiction, but if you start trying to visualize a coherent future that includes aliens, telepathy, faster-than-light travel, or time machines, your futurology is going to rapidly run off the road and crash around in the blank bits of the map that say HERE BE DRAGONS.

Examples

  • Where are the futurologies of yesteryear?

    Academic text (1994)

  • Well, a lot of futurology consists of extrapolation, which is dangerous.

  • On Futurology and the End of the World.

    Blog text (34)

  • But futurology means never having to say you're sorry.

    Blog text (34)

  • I've always been interested in future studies or futurology but couldn't figure out how to land a job in that lucrative field and become your friendly Oracle.

    Blog text (34)

  • The field of futurology focuses on analyzing current trends to make predictions about future developments.

  • Many professionals in futurology analyze social changes to forecast future behaviors of different demographics.

  • The conference on futurology gathered experts to discuss potential environmental changes over the next decade based on current trends.

Synonyms

forecasting
vsfuturology
18 3.7

Saying what will happen in the future using information

focuses on systematic study to predict trends using current data
futuristics
vsfuturology
  • Specialized
9.5

Study of future trends and likely changes based on today's facts

is the same study expressed under an alternative name
prospection
vsfuturology
  • Specialized
8.3

To imagine and plan for the future

focuses on systematic prediction of developments using current data rather than planning

How Systematic

futurology
  • Specialized
1 9.0
backcasting
  • Specialized
8.3
trend analysis
  • Specialized
1 3.9
forecasting
18 3.7
speculation
288 4.8

Surface Forms

futurology singular
futurologies plural

Morphology

futurology = future (semi-transparent) = future + ology

The word is built from 'future' plus the study-of suffix '-ology', but it is a specialized coined label for forecasting and related research.

Etymology

Futurology comes from future and the ending -logy, which means 'study', like in biology and psychology. So futurology is the 'study of the future'. It explains why people in this area try to predict coming trends and events using current facts and data.