What does forthcoming mean?
Word: Forthcoming
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Forthcoming means going to happen or appear soon. About a person, it means willing to give information or help.
Synonyms: upcoming, approaching, coming
Antonyms: past, secretive
How do you spell forthcoming?
Syllables: forth - com - ing
Tricky part: The coming inside forthcoming has only one m. Forthcomming, with a double m, is the slip examiners see most.
Watch out for: forthcomming, forthcommig, forthcomeing
Memory tip: Come drops its e before -ing and nothing is doubled, so coming, and forthcoming with it, keeps one m.
Forthcoming in a sentence
Example 1: The forthcoming school elections have every class busy making posters.
Example 2: Tickets for the forthcoming test match in Chennai sold out in an hour.
Example 3: The witness was not very forthcoming and answered only yes or no.
Fun Fact
Forth is an Old English word related to fore and to the German word fort, meaning 'onward' or 'away'.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Twins
Choose the option that fills both blanks correctly:
1. Details of the ___coming exam will be put up on the notice board. 2. Ella came ___ in the drawing competition.
a) fourth/forth
b) forth/fourth
c) 'forth' in both
d) 'fourth' in both
Show answer
b) forth/fourth. An exam that is coming soon is forthcoming; a place after third is fourth.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. forthright 2. forthcoming 3. forthwith 4. fortieth
a) 4213
b) 2314
c) 1234
d) 2134
Show answer
d) 2134. Three words start forth and are sorted by their next letter, c, r, w; fortieth goes last because i comes after h.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. forthcoming 2. overdue 3. annual a. happening once every year b. late, after the expected time c. going to happen soon
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. Forthcoming is still ahead, overdue is already late, and annual comes round once a year.
Word Fusion
Which two parts join to make a new word?
1. ment 2. forth 3. going 4. ful 5. coming 6. less
a) 5 and 6
b) 2 and 4
c) 2 and 1
d) 2 and 5
Show answer
d) 2 and 5. Forth and coming join to make forthcoming; forthful, comingless and forthment are not words.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A school newsletter lists forthcoming events. Which one would it include?
a) a match played in 1983
b) yesterday's assembly
c) last month's sports day
d) next week's book fair
Show answer
d) next week's book fair
2. A pupil who is not forthcoming in class ___.
a) talks loudly all through class
b) forgets to bring her books
c) comes to school very early
d) rarely offers answers or ideas
Show answer
d) rarely offers answers or ideas
