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Synonyms

foregone conclusion

American  

noun

  1. an inevitable conclusion or result.

  2. a conclusion, opinion, or decision formed in advance of proper consideration of evidence, arguments, etc.


foregone conclusion British  

noun

  1. an inevitable result or conclusion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foregone conclusion

First recorded in 1595–1605


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:

When it comes to romantic comedies, it’s not where it’s going — that’s a foregone conclusion — but how it gets there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

But Miller’s refusal to bow out wasn’t a foregone conclusion, either.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

“I think endemicity is a foregone conclusion and measles will circulate at the level it did in the 1990s,” Adalja said.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

“It’s a bounce back from the extreme selloff we saw in software based on a foregone conclusion that AI would be the end of software,” said David Miller, chief investment officer for Catalyst Mutual Funds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

Indeed, the act of exhorting was designed to enhance the prospect by talking about it as if it were a foregone conclusion, which Washington most assuredly knew it was not.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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