MEANING
To give up or decide not to take something available or desirable.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- forgo an opportunity
- forgo a benefit
On the page
She chose to forgo the grant rather than accept its conditions.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- forgo
- Past tense
- forwent
- Past participle
- forgone
- Present participle
- forgoing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- forgo
- Present continuous
- am/is/are forgoing
- Present perfect
- have/has forgone
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been forgoing
- Past
- forwent
- Past continuous
- was/were forgoing
- Past perfect
- had forgone
- Past perfect continuous
- had been forgoing
- Future
- will forgo
- Future continuous
- will be forgoing
- Future perfect
- will have forgone
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been forgoing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: forgo; forgoes; forwent; forgone; forgoing 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. Writing functions: analysis, explanation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: forgoes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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