forfeit

[ fawr-fit ]

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

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

/ 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

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

Derived Forms

• ˈforfeiter, noun
• ˈforfeitable, adjective

Other Words From

• for·feit·a·ble adjective
• for·feit·er noun
• non·for·feit·a·ble adjective
• non·for·feit·ing adjective
• re·for·feit verb (used with object)
• un·for·feit·a·ble adjective
• un·for·feit·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of forfeit¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of forfeit¹

C13: from Old French forfet offence, from forfaire to commit a crime, from Medieval Latin foris facere to act outside (what is lawful), from Latin foris outside + facere to do

Example Sentences

The NFL previously told teams they could face forfeits if any outbreaks are attributable to unvaccinated players or staffers and affected games can’t be rescheduled.

From Washington Post

When prisoners learned from Zimbardo that they would have to forfeit any money they’d already earned if they left before the experiment ended, their solidarity plummeted, and the guards crushed their resistance.

From Science News

The government has essentially hired a bank to store and sell billions of dollars worth of forfeited cryptocurrency, including troves of bitcoin and ethereum.

From Vox

As part of the settlement, the company agreed to forfeit the objects, pay a $3 million fine and submit to federal oversight.

From Washington Post

Instead, a team that can’t suit up enough players would forfeit the game.

From The Daily Beast

To risk eye contact with any of the above is to forfeit all singles in your wallet.

From The Daily Beast

Last September, Sexton pleaded guilty in New York state court to money laundering and agreed to forfeit $600,000.

From The Daily Beast

Is there anything Zarif could do to forfeit his credentials as a “moderate”?

From The Daily Beast

Crackpots eventually reveal themselves as such, and forfeit their influence in consequence.

From The Daily Beast

Individuals who are found to store their weapons unsafely could forfeit for a time their ownership rights.

From The Daily Beast

The statute of that year provided that every offender should forfeit the sum of twelve pence.

From Project Gutenberg

And when they told him no, he was most likely to give a nod to Herbert, which meant that the captives' heads were forfeit.

From Project Gutenberg

They surround their plunderers, attack them without fear, and frequently make their lives pay the forfeit of their rashness.

From Project Gutenberg

By what forfeit has he merited becoming the eternal object of the anger of that God who created him?

From Project Gutenberg

But if he guessed wrong, he was to forfeit his life, and the magician would have his beautiful blue eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abandon
• lose
• relinquish
• renounce
• surrender