Toffler

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Alvin Tofflers name belongs to an American futurist author known for works on technological change and social upheaval
2. The surname of an American writer and social critic who studied how rapid change reshapes modern society
3. A reference to the American author and futurist famous for predicting the disruptive effects of information technology

Etymology: Alvin Toffler is the person behind this word, and the surname is the whole etymology: "toffler" is a noun meaning an American futurist writer, named for the author of "Future Shock" (1970) and "The Third Wave" (1980). Toffler's books argued that rapid technological and social change would overwhelm people, and his name became shorthand for someone who writes about where society is heading. The surname itself is a familiar English-language one. Because the word is simply a person's family name used as a common noun, its meaning rests entirely on the man's career rather than on any older sense of the word. Speakers who use it are typically referring to his ideas about accelerating change, a concept he popularized in the late twentieth century.