forthcoming

An act of coming forth.

Adjective

  1. Approaching or about to take place.
    • I shall vote in the forthcoming election.
    • The visitors began to hold a much higher line, passing and moving with greater urgency, and their reward was forthcoming. - 2011 October 1, David Ornstein, “Blackburn 0 – 4 Man City”, in BBC Sport, archived from the...
    • Never one to waste an opportunity, he says now: "The low points? You can read about them in my forthcoming book! It's at the printers now. - 2021 November 3, Adrian Shooter talks to Paul Clifton, “A lifetime of railway...

    Synonyms: imminent impending around the corner at hand forthcoming impendent in the offing in the wind instant on the boil pending upcoming proximate to come toward

  2. Available when needed; in place, ready.
    • The money was not forthcoming.
    • Unfortunately, sufficient public support has not been forthcoming, and the trains were withdrawn from September 15. - 1956 October, “Notes and News: Nottingham Local Service Withdrawn”, in Railway Magazine, page 710:
    • This may perhaps throw some light on the fact that in democratic countries defending themselves against aggression, sufficient support may be forthcoming for the necessary far-reaching measures (which may even take on...

    Antonyms: unforthcoming

  3. Willing to co-operate or provide information; candid, frank, responsive.
    • Once I explained why I needed to know, she was really forthcoming.
    • So the lawyer talks to him, and tries to get the details of the case, but the guy's not really forthcoming, you know, he won't say exactly where he lives, won't give any names, and the lawyer is thinking something's...

Origin

The adjective is derived from forth (“forwards”) + coming (“approaching (adjective)”); or from Middle English forth commyng, *forthcominge, present participle of forth-comen (“to come forth; to appear, issue”), from Old English forþcuman (“to come forth, come forward”) (present participle *forþcumende), from forþ- (“forth; forward”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + cuman (“to come”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (“to step”)). Compare Dutch voortkomend (“coming forth, originating from (verb)”), German fortkommend (“getting away; progressing (verb)”). The noun is derived from forth (“forwards”) + coming (“arrival”).

Forms

more forthcoming most forthcoming

Derived

forthcomingly forthcomingness unforthcoming

Noun

  1. An act of coming forth.
  2. Something that is yet to come.
    • The reader, has had presented to him things not belonging to time or mortality, but awful realities issuing out from eternity, the audible forthcomings of a present living God. - 1831, Archibald Mackerrell, “Appendix”,...

Forms

forthcomings

Verb

  1. present participle and gerund of forthcome

Origin

From forthcome + -ing.