forfeiture
Americannoun
-
something forfeited
-
the act of forfeiting or paying a penalty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
The Scottish Police Authority can seek the forfeiture of his employer's contributions.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The indictment seeks forfeiture, or the loss of property or money, from Cloth in the amount of at least $12.5 million for alleged film and gaming projects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Jouppi’s case involves criminal forfeiture, imposed after a conviction.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
A state trial court ruled the forfeiture wasn’t an appropriate punishment, but in 2025 the Alaska Supreme Court said seizing the Cessna didn’t violate the Eighth Amendment’s excessive fines clause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
This helps to explain why up to 90 percent of forfeiture cases in some jurisdictions are not challenged.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Most forfeiture targets have none of those advantages, which is why the overwhelming majority of forfeitures are never contested at all.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Judge Jay Rakoff also sentenced Rinsch to three years of supervised release, $11m in forfeitures, and a $700 fine.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Such recruiting is considered “an act of gross unsportsmanlike conduct” punishable by game forfeitures and fines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
The family and company are due to pay more than $8 billion in fines, forfeitures and penalties.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
At the time the new rules were adopted, the law governing civil forfeiture was so heavily weighted in favor of the government that fully 80 percent of forfeitures went uncontested.
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.
