Forthcoming describes something that's about to happen or arrive soon. When teachers announce forthcoming field trips, they're telling you about trips planned for the near future. A library might display forthcoming books by popular authors that haven't been released yet but will be available soon.

The word also describes someone who's open and willing to share information. When you ask your friend what's wrong and they're forthcoming about their feelings, they tell you honestly instead of hiding everything. A witness who's forthcoming with the police tells them everything they know without holding back important details.

Sometimes people use forthcoming to point out when information is not being shared: “The company wasn't very forthcoming about why they canceled the event.” This suggests they were being secretive or evasive when people expected honesty.

The opposite of being forthcoming is being reticent or tight-lipped, when someone keeps their thoughts and information to themselves.