forego
1 Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of forego
before 900; Middle English forgon, forgan, Old English foregān. See fore-, go 1
Explanation
If you forego something, you choose to give it up. If you forego dessert after dinner, you are skipping dessert. The verb forego (also spelled forgo) literally means “to go by.” In common usage it means “to abstain” or “do without.” You might forego smoking cigarettes as a New Year’s resolution. Forego can also mean “to precede,” or “go before.” This verb is often seen in its past participle form, foregone, in the phrase “foregone conclusion,” meaning a predetermined conclusion.
Vocabulary lists containing forego
The Constitution of the United States
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Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
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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:
Don’t forego work just because it could mean smaller Social Security benefits for a period, Ritter said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
The Wall Street Journal reported External link over the weekend that SpaceX would forego a Mars mission in 2026, focusing on the moon instead.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
Honnold has also, at times, been a somewhat polarizing figure in the climbing world, with some criticizing his decision to forego ropes and other protective equipment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026
It’s remarkable how much future benefit people will forego for a little instant gratification.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
“Wear them with pride. And then...who knows? One day you may forego those striped pants for solid blue ones, just as Martina Crowe did today!”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
“They’re not foregoing the occasions, but they’re managing that ticket.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The bigger issue is that investors who stuck with staples, foregoing bigger gains in hopes they would provide a smoother ride, have been sorely mistaken.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
When I think of foregoing a baby for a comedy career, I think: What career?
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
You are foregoing any increases in the stock market over the term of the annuity — but also hedging your bets against a severe downturn in the market.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 9, 2026
The foregoing investigation into the nature of the idea of Texas is put down as a prelude to my journeying across Texas with Charley in Rocinante.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Still, “a Chapter 11 filing is not a foregone conclusion.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
This year, he has looked every bit that, but that does not mean a victory on Sunday is a foregone conclusion.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
But Miller’s refusal to bow out wasn’t a foregone conclusion, either.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the ’70s and ’80s, it was a foregone conclusion I’d get married one day and have a family.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
And by the spring of 1796 it had become a foregone conclusion that the choice was between them.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
In his Halloween paso doble showcase, he wore a clerical collar and forewent grease paint or creepy contacts, relying on wide-eyed expressions and a low-slung layer of fake fog to hide his relatively clumsy footwork.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2025
While Hopkins and many of her generation forewent having children, she notes that women today show up for job interviews pregnant, take family leave and still get tenure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
The former Rainier Beach star played at Yakima Valley College after graduating high school, but forewent a Division I career due to eligibility concerns and eventually joined the G League.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 25, 2022
But last month, after Thiessen’s stepmother and father, who are in their 70s, came down with covid, Thiessen, his wife and their children, ages 7 and 9, forewent testing.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 10, 2022
Then I kissed the ground before her and the old woman forewent me till I reached the door whence I came.
From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 04 by Sir Richard Francis Burton
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