Future

Events that have not yet occurred and are unknown or even unknowable, as opposed to the past that has occurred and is believed to be knowable. The future extends the arrow of time from the past beyond the present. It is a dimension of human existence, which extends 'forward' beyond the present. One can speak of a desirable (or normative) future, an expected future, or probable or improbable futures. It is shaped by policy; thus it is possible for humans to have plans, purposes, goals, intentions, and meanings. It is usually expressed in the plural to denote that many futures are possible.