foregone conclusion
Americannoun
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an inevitable conclusion or result.
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a conclusion, opinion, or decision formed in advance of proper consideration of evidence, arguments, etc.
noun
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.
“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
California currently has the highest average gasoline price at $5.14, but the $6 price level as an average for the state is not a foregone conclusion just yet, De Haan said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026
That wait goes on, but a defeat should not exactly have been a foregone conclusion - even if Aston Villa are flying in third place.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
“It is not a foregone conclusion that people will lose jobs,” Supt.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
It was a foregone conclusion that Washington would be called out of retirement to head the force, but equally predictable that the aging general would delegate actual command to his former aide-de-camp.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
