'Upcoming' basically means happening in the future. However, 'coming' is often a better choice of words.
'Upcoming' was a relatively recent word creation, by analogy with the phrasal verb 'coming up', that is, happening soon. Yet the participle 'coming' already existed, and still does, with the very same meaning. You can say an upcoming event, but its really unnecessary, because a coming event is the very same thing. It's like saying 'coming in the future' - when else would something come but in the future, at a time later than the present? So 'upcoming' is often redundant.
Does 'upcoming' ever mean something significantly different than 'coming'? It's possible that 'upcoming' puts slightly more emphasis on coming soon, just about to happen -- but not a lot more. It's true that 'upcoming' can only be used for things that are planned, not things that will happen regardless of human intention, you couldn't substitute 'upcoming' in expressions such as the coming storm, the coming economic down turn. But does the reverse hold true? Are there, planned events for which 'coming' sounds off? Not really any. The upcoming NBA playoffs -- well, maybe 'coming' is less common there, but is that only our bad habit because we've heard the jargon form so often in the media?
As for 'forthcoming' , it doesn't really mean simply happening in the future, even though it's sometimes misused with the sense. It means coming forth, which means coming out, that is, appearing, being released, being made public. Information can be forthcoming when someone divulges it. Anything that is to be published, presented, or announced can be forthcoming: the forthcoming issue of a magazine, the forthcoming edition if a book, a forthcoming statement from a government spokesperson and so on.
But if you're simply announcing now that an event is going to take place in the future, not that it's going to come out or up, then why not just say 'coming'.
(Please note: this excerpt is taken or copied from a forum and not my own explanation.)
'Upcoming' was a relatively recent word creation, by analogy with the phrasal verb 'coming up', that is, happening soon. Yet the participle 'coming' already existed, and still does, with the very same meaning. You can say an upcoming event, but its really unnecessary, because a coming event is the very same thing. It's like saying 'coming in the future' - when else would something come but in the future, at a time later than the present? So 'upcoming' is often redundant.
Does 'upcoming' ever mean something significantly different than 'coming'? It's possible that 'upcoming' puts slightly more emphasis on coming soon, just about to happen -- but not a lot more. It's true that 'upcoming' can only be used for things that are planned, not things that will happen regardless of human intention, you couldn't substitute 'upcoming' in expressions such as the coming storm, the coming economic down turn. But does the reverse hold true? Are there, planned events for which 'coming' sounds off? Not really any. The upcoming NBA playoffs -- well, maybe 'coming' is less common there, but is that only our bad habit because we've heard the jargon form so often in the media?
As for 'forthcoming' , it doesn't really mean simply happening in the future, even though it's sometimes misused with the sense. It means coming forth, which means coming out, that is, appearing, being released, being made public. Information can be forthcoming when someone divulges it. Anything that is to be published, presented, or announced can be forthcoming: the forthcoming issue of a magazine, the forthcoming edition if a book, a forthcoming statement from a government spokesperson and so on.
But if you're simply announcing now that an event is going to take place in the future, not that it's going to come out or up, then why not just say 'coming'.
(Please note: this excerpt is taken or copied from a forum and not my own explanation.)
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