forfeit

American  

[fawr-fit] / ˈfɔr fɪt /

noun

• forfeits
  plural

1. a fine; penalty.

2. an act of forfeiting; forfeiture.

3. something to which the right is lost, as for commission of a crime or misdeed, neglect of duty, or violation of a contract.

4. an article deposited in a game because of a mistake and redeemable by a fine or penalty.

5. (used with a singular verb) forfeits, a game in which such articles are taken from the players.

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verb (used with object)

• forfeits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• forfeited,
  past participle,  past
• forfeiting
  present participle

1. to subject to seizure as a forfeit.

2. to lose or become liable to lose, as in consequence of crime, fault, or breach of engagement.

   Synonyms:

   waive, forgo, relinquish, yield, surrender, mulct

adjective

1. lost or subject to loss by forfeiture.

forfeit British  

/ ˈfɔːfɪt /

noun

1. something lost or given up as a penalty for a fault, mistake, etc

2. the act of losing or surrendering something in this manner

3. law something confiscated as a penalty for an offence, breach of contract, etc

4. (sometimes plural)

   1. a game in which a player has to give up an object, perform a specified action, etc, if he commits a fault

   2. an object so given up

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verb

1. (tr) to lose or be liable to lose in consequence of a mistake, fault, etc

2. (tr) law

   1. to confiscate as punishment

   2. to surrender (something exacted as a penalty)

adjective

1. surrendered or liable to be surrendered as a penalty

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• forfeiter
  noun
• reforfeit
  verb (used with object)
• forfeitable
  adjective
• nonforfeitable
  adjective
• nonforfeiting
  adjective
• unforfeitable
  adjective
• unforfeiting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• forfeits
  plural

Participles

• forfeiting
  present
• forfeited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• forfeit
  simple
• forfeits
  simple
• have forfeited
  perfect
• has forfeited
  perfect
• am forfeiting
  progressive
• are forfeiting
  progressive
• is forfeiting
  progressive
• have been forfeiting
  perfect progressive
• has been forfeiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• forfeited
  simple
• had forfeited
  perfect
• was forfeiting
  progressive
• were forfeiting
  progressive
• had been forfeiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will forfeit
  simple
• will have forfeited
  perfect
• will be forfeiting
  progressive
• will have been forfeiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of forfeit

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English forfet, from Old French (past participle of forfaire “to commit crime, to lose possession or right through a criminal act”), from Medieval Latin forīs factum “penalty,” past participle of forīs facere “to transgress,” equivalent to Latin forīs “outside, wrongly” + facere “to make, do”

Explanation

Forfeit means to lose or give up something, usually as a penalty. If you don’t finish your homework and eat all your broccoli, you'll most likely forfeit your right to watch TV before going to bed. An adjective, noun, and verb all rolled into one, forfeit came into existence around 1300 meaning “to lose by misconduct.” To forfeit is to lose or give up something as punishment for making an error. A forfeit is what is lost. You've probably heard of forfeiting a game or match — like when you don't show up with enough players or pick one too many fights with the opposing team.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forfeit forfeits forfeited forfeiting

Mostly they knowingly forfeit the cash to have their 15 minutes in the limelight, sending up the pageantry of British politics.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

"Travellers who cancel now will likely forfeit their right to a refund or rebooking," he says.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Alibaba agreed to forfeit $200 million and pay an additional criminal penalty of $125 million, the DOJ said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

In addition to prison time, Rinsch must serve three years of supervised release, forfeit the $11 million and pay $700 in mandatory special assessments, according to Monday’s announcement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Failing that, they would be adjudged traitors, their lands and titles forfeit to the throne.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Making sure paperwork is correct is one of the most important tasks, because one mistake can lead to forfeits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

If Warsh goes quiet while his colleagues continue to give economic-outlook speeches, a kind of unilateral disarmament could take hold where the chair forfeits the bully pulpit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

But a court that tolerates such defiance eventually forfeits the right to demand obedience.

From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026

Alford responded with a Bible verse from the Gospel of Matthew: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” according to texts viewed by The Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

“Either your player forfeits the set, or he gets back out there and finishes the game,” Reverend Hollister continued.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

The fund has returned more than $13 billion in forfeited assets to victims and their families since 2000, according to the department, which has said paying victims is a priority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

On 24 June, Donaldson asked for his knighthood to be forfeited and tendered his resignation from the Privy Council with immediate effect.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Daniel Kokotajlo, who forfeited roughly $2 million in vested equity rather than sign a non-disparagement agreement and stay quiet.

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

Although I forfeited my membership in the Partnered People club, I became a member of another, equally nonexclusive-but-far-less-touted club, the Happily Divorced Women.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Indeed, rather like Michael Jackson in our own time, Mozart’s childhood had been forfeited to make way for a career as a freakishly talented boy prodigy to be touted around an adult world.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

That said, I will state the obvious: You will likely be forfeiting a decent amount of income.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

The First Amendment “guarantees that lawmakers cannot pick and choose who gets to speak. Nor can lawmakers condition access to any legal benefit on forfeiting the fundamental right of free political speech.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

"We want the Lebanese state to negotiate for itself, and nobody is suggesting forfeiting this role," Fayyad said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026

Armstrong adds that investors should get a discount for forfeiting control: "I want to pay less for a company where my ownership does not include control."

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

As a result, judges are not required to inform criminal defendants of some of the most important rights they are forfeiting when they plead guilty to a felony.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• abandon
• lose
• relinquish
• renounce
• surrender