distant future; far-off days
Refers to a time far ahead, often with a sense of looking forward or planning. Can be used adverbially as 末々に.
I save money thinking about the distant future.
descendants; future generations
Dated term for one's descendants or posterity. Now more commonly expressed as 子孫.
Dated term for the lower social strata or ordinary folk. Archaic in modern usage; replaced by 庶民 or 一般大衆.
This plan will bring great results in the long run.
He left his fortune to his descendants.
In the Edo period, the common people were forced to live harsh lives.
Standard kanji spelling with iteration mark.
Variant without iteration mark; less common but still used.
Reduplication of 末 (すえ, 'end' or 'future'), literally 'ends and ends', extending the temporal or social meaning to distant future, descendants, or lower classes.