MEANING
1. To lose a right, possession, or opportunity because of a breach of rules or another specified consequence.
2. Something that must be given up or done as a penalty.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- forfeit a deposit
- forfeit a match
On the page
Leaving early would forfeit her claim to the remaining payment.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- forfeit
- Past tense
- forfeited
- Past participle
- forfeited
- Present participle
- forfeiting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- forfeit
- Present continuous
- am/is/are forfeiting
- Present perfect
- have/has forfeited
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been forfeiting
- Past
- forfeited
- Past continuous
- was/were forfeiting
- Past perfect
- had forfeited
- Past perfect continuous
- had been forfeiting
- Future
- will forfeit
- Future continuous
- will be forfeiting
- Future perfect
- will have forfeited
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been forfeiting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: forfeit; forfeits; forfeited; forfeited; forfeiting. Noun singular forfeit; plural forfeits. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: forfeits.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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