forfeit

American  

[fawr-fit] / ˈfɔr fɪt /

noun

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)

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

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

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”

Example Sentences

Under normal circumstances, the rules would have empowered the referee to declare a forfeit and award the game to Morocco.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

In the event of his dismissal, Pichai would forfeit all stock options that are not yet exercisable, according to the document.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

Horvath would have had to forfeit her seat to run against Bass, while facing a tight timeline for fundraising.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

If a player cannot continue because of severe cramping, they may forfeit a point or a game to force a change of ends and receive treatment.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

To reassure each man ofhis opponent’s sincerity, Vanderbilt asked that each put up a forfeit fee of $5,000.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• abandon
• lose
• relinquish
• renounce
• surrender