forgotten

American  

[fer-got-n] / fərˈgɒt n /

verb

1. a past participle of forget.

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forgotten British  

/ fəˈɡɒtən /

verb

1. a past participle of forget

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Usage

See forget.

Other Word Forms

• half-forgotten adjective
• quasi-forgotten adjective
• unforgotten adjective
• well-forgotten adjective

Explanation

Something that's forgotten isn't remembered or considered. Your forgotten mail might sit in the mailbox all weekend, if you simply don't think about it. Your English teacher might reassure you that the bad grade you got on a paper last month is forgotten, and you could find that as you start reading a great book, your difficult day is forgotten. In both cases, something is overlooked, disregarded or erased from memory. Forgotten comes from forget, from the Old English forgietan, "fail to remember" or "neglect inadvertently."

Example Sentences

The market is taking those lyrics to heart, with stocks pushing toward fresh highs and fear all but forgotten.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

The two could have easily been forgotten, obscured by the passage of time as so many returning groups are.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

And his first love has never forgotten him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Why are some performers remembered, and others forgotten?

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

He lifted his hand to show her the bowls but then realized he had forgotten them.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith