forthcoming

forthcoming — adjective

1. planned or expected to happen, appear, or be produced in the near future

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

planned or expected to happen, appear, or be produced in the near future

Example

Liang is already preparing for his forthcoming trip to Vietnam.

collocation: forthcoming trip

The band's forthcoming album was recorded in a small studio in Kyoto.

collocation: forthcoming album

Common collocations
  • forthcoming album
  • forthcoming election
  • forthcoming changes
  • forthcoming exhibition
  • forthcoming book
  • forthcoming report
  • forthcoming trip
Synonyms
  • upcoming

    less formal, more common in everyday speech

  • approaching

    suggests something getting nearer in time, often used with dates or seasons

  • imminent

    stronger sense of happening very soon, often with urgency

  • pending

    waiting to be decided or settled, often used for legal or administrative matters

Antonyms
  • past

    already happened

  • previous

    having happened before the present time

Usage Note

Frequently used before a noun (attributive position). Less formal alternatives include 'upcoming' and 'coming'.

Common Mistakes

A forthcoming disaster is expected next year.
An impending disaster is expected next year.
'forthcoming' describes planned events; 'impending' describes something threatening or unwanted that is about to happen.

2. ready to give information, answer questions, or share thoughts openly, especiall

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

ready to give information, answer questions, or share thoughts openly, especially when the person might be expected to hold back

Example

The witness was not very forthcoming about what she had seen that night.

negative pattern: not forthcoming about

Kenji was surprisingly forthcoming about his childhood during the radio interview.

Common collocations
  • forthcoming about
  • forthcoming with
  • not forthcoming
  • less than forthcoming
  • more forthcoming
Synonyms
  • communicative

    more formal, focuses on the ability to express ideas clearly

  • open

    less formal, broader meaning that includes emotional honesty

  • candid

    emphasizes honesty and directness, not just willingness to talk

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be not forthcoming about [topic]

be forthcoming with [details/information]

Usage Note

Often appears in negative statements ('not forthcoming') to describe someone who avoids sharing information. Distinguished from sense 3 because the subject is a person, not an object or resource.

Common Mistakes

My boss was very forthcoming, telling me directly that I had made a mistake.
My boss was very forthright, telling me directly that I had made a mistake.
'forthcoming' means willing to share information; 'forthright' means speaking directly and honestly, even when it is uncomfortable.

3. given or obtainable when required, particularly after being requested or promise

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

given or obtainable when required, particularly after being requested or promised

Example

When the police arrived, no explanation for the accident was forthcoming.

typical negative passive: no [noun] was forthcoming

The government promised funding, but none was forthcoming for the school repairs.

Common collocations
  • forthcoming from
  • not forthcoming
  • help was forthcoming
  • no response was forthcoming
  • forthcoming upon request
Synonyms
  • available

    much more common and less formal; does not carry the sense of 'promised'

  • supplied

    focuses on the act of provision rather than availability

  • provided

    emphasizes that someone gave or furnished the item

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

no [noun] + was/were forthcoming

[noun] + was/were not forthcoming

Usage Note

Nearly always used in the predicate position (after 'was'/'were'), rarely before a noun. Most common in negative contexts to indicate that something expected has not been delivered.

Common Mistakes

Fresh fruit is forthcoming at the market every morning.
Fresh fruit is available at the market every morning.
'forthcoming' (sense 3) implies something was promised, requested, or expected to be supplied, not simply generally available.

Word family

  • forth
    adverbB2
  • forthright
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe something that has not yet happened but will happen soon. 'Forthcoming' is the most formal and is often used for planned or scheduled events such as elections, album releases, or reports. 'Upcoming' is a less formal alternative and is the most common choice in everyday speech — you would say 'upcoming weekend' rather than 'forthcoming weekend'. 'Impending' carries a negative tone and is used for unwelcome events such as disasters, storms, or crises. 'Imminent' suggests the event is extremely close and could happen at any moment, often with a sense of urgency. 'Approaching' works naturally with seasons, deadlines, or birthdays — it emphasises the gradual progression toward an event. For a neutral, planned future event, 'forthcoming' or 'upcoming' are the safest choices; for threats, choose 'impending'; for something about to happen right now, choose 'imminent'.

forthcoming ↗upcoming ↗impendingimminent ↗approaching

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • less than forthcoming
  • not forthcoming
  • be forthcoming with
  • slow in forthcoming

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'forthcoming' is formed by combining the Old English prefix 'forth-' (meaning 'forward, onward, into view') with the present participle of 'come'. It first appeared in English around the 1500s in the literal sense of 'coming forward or into view'. By the 1800s, it had developed the figurative meanings we use today: events that are 'about to come forward' in time, and people who 'come forward' with information.