forthcoming
B2Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
About to happen or appear in the near future.
1. (of a person) Willing to give information; open and communicative. 2. (of a thing) Made available or accessible when needed.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The adjective primarily describes future events (core meaning). When applied to people, it shifts to a positive personality trait of openness. The third sense (availability) is more formal and often used in institutional contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. British English may use 'forthcoming' slightly more in formal/official contexts (e.g., 'the forthcoming government report'). The 'open/person' sense is equally common in both.
Connotations
Generally neutral or positive. Can be slightly negative in specific contexts if implying reluctance was expected (e.g., 'He wasn't very forthcoming with the details.').
Frequency
Moderately common in both varieties. Slightly higher frequency in written English (news, reports, academia) than in casual speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be forthcoming about [something]be forthcoming with [information/help]be forthcoming from [a source][event] is forthcomingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly associated. Used in phrases like 'to be less than forthcoming' (to be unhelpfully secretive).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The financial results for the forthcoming quarter are projected to be strong.'
Academic
'The professor was forthcoming with feedback on the forthcoming conference.'
Everyday
'Are you excited for the forthcoming holiday?'
Technical
'The software update, forthcoming next week, will patch the security vulnerability.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A – 'forthcoming' is not used as a verb.
American English
- N/A – 'forthcoming' is not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A – 'forthcoming' is not used as a standard adverb.
American English
- N/A – 'forthcoming' is not used as a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- The council has been criticised for not being forthcoming with the data.
- Details of the forthcoming royal tour have been announced.
American English
- The CEO was surprisingly forthcoming during the interview.
- We await the forthcoming Senate hearing with interest.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My birthday is forthcoming.
- The teacher was forthcoming with help before the test.
- The dates for the forthcoming exams are on the website.
- Despite questioning, the witness was not forthcoming about what he had seen.
- The company has announced its forthcoming merger with a European partner.
- The government's lack of forthcoming evidence undermined its case.
- Critics are already reviewing the director's forthcoming, and highly anticipated, film trilogy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
FORTH = forward + COMING. Think: what is coming forth (forward) in time. For the 'open' sense: information is coming forth from the person.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE FUTURE IS AHEAD / COMING TOWARDS US. INFORMATION IS A FLUID (when 'forthcoming with details').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'предстоящий' (only for events) and 'откровенный'/'коммуникабельный' (for people). Russian lacks a single direct equivalent covering all senses.
- Avoid calquing 'выходящий вперёд'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for past events. (Wrong: 'the forthcoming storm last week').
- Misspelling as 'fourthcoming'.
- Using the 'person' sense for objects. (Awkward: 'The manual was very forthcoming.').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'forthcoming' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. When describing a person, it means they are willing to talk freely and give information; they are open and communicative.
They are often synonyms for future events. 'Forthcoming' can sound slightly more formal and can also describe people's openness. 'Upcoming' is more neutral and only refers to events.
Yes, when describing a person's degree of openness (e.g., 'She was very forthcoming'). For events, intensifiers like 'very' are less common; 'soon-to-be-released' or 'highly anticipated' are more natural.
Yes, but indirectly. Phrases like 'not forthcoming', 'less than forthcoming', or 'hardly forthcoming' imply someone is being unhelpfully secretive or reticent.
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