Word to describe the fear of unknown future

Is there any word to describe the fear of unknown future? Like when you cannot anticipate your future, you don't know what will happen or what can happen, not near or immediate future, but some future far away.

Like what will happen five years from now? You can't control it so you're fearful.


You may consider using apprehension.


In a given situation, angst or dread may also apply. Angst is usually more diffuse, and not necessarily about the future. Dread is more focused, often on an anticipated event.


You may want to look at

  • Chronophobia - Fear of time

  • Metathesiophobia - Fear of changes.


I think you have named your phobia:

anticipatory anxiety

In addition, two studies reported dACC increases during anticipatory anxiety ...
Interaction between smoking rate and anxiety sensitivity: Relation to anticipatory anxiety and panic-relevant avoidance among daily smokers

If you are hesitant to use anxiety, fear is a notch down. If you want to increase it, there is panic.

Anticipatory anxiety may also shape behavior (i.e. decisions about how to behave, what to say, where to go, etc.) in hopes of avoiding a return of symptoms. At lower levels this fear is referred to as ordinary “worry;” at higher levels it may become so intense that it can be called “anticipatory panic.”