forfeiture
Americannoun
-
something forfeited
-
the act of forfeiting or paying a penalty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of forfeiture
1300–50; Middle English forfeiture, forfeture < Old French. See forfeit, -ure
Explanation
Forfeiture is having to give something up, usually as a punishment. If kindergartners yell and run around instead of sitting quietly at their desks, it might result in a forfeiture of recess that day. When you forfeit something, you lose or relinquish it as a penalty for doing something wrong. An instance of this happening is a forfeiture, and you can describe the thing you have to sacrifice as a forfeiture too. In law, a forfeiture is the loss of rights or goods due to not fulfilling some obligation. For example, failing to make car payments to a bank can result in the forfeiture of your car.
Vocabulary lists containing forfeiture
The Constitution of the United States
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Stamp Act (1765)
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The Merchant of Venice
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A district judge in Llandudno earlier approved a forfeiture application by North Wales Police to confiscate the contents of his bank accounts.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
PleasrDAO’s attorney, Steven Cooper, said that Shkreli gave up all rights in the album in the criminal forfeiture.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
After Shkreli forfeited the album, the federal government sold it to help cover $7.4 million in forfeiture that a judge ordered him to pay.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
The London ICC told the BBC the allegation that it teaches that leaving the church results in forfeiture of salvation is "utterly false".
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026
If you haven’t been charged with a crime, are you willing to risk the possibility that fighting the forfeiture might prompt the government to file criminal charges against you?
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
