verb
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to give up or do without
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archaic to leave
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of forgo
First recorded before 950; Middle English forgon, Old English forgān ; see origin at for-, go 1
Explanation
The verb forgo means to give up or lose the right to something. The word forgo can be traced back to the Old English word forgān, which meant to pass away or to die, which is sometimes referred to as "giving up the ghost." Perhaps it was this idea of relinquishing something that led to our modern-day use of the word forgo to mean to give up, waive, or forfeit something. For example, someone charged with a crime might decide to forgo the right to remain silent and instead confess.
Vocabulary lists containing forgo
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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.
PayPal agreed to forgo $30 million in transaction fees to settle a Justice Department probe into alleged unlawful preferences.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Dunn worries about people who forgo insurance coverage as costs rise.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
We forgo charging our phones at the Amex Experience Lounge in favor of drifting into a couple of the smaller dance tents away from the spectacle of the main stages.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
You reduce your Social Security benefits by 30% if you claim at 62 and you forgo a roughly 8%-a-year additional increase if you retire at 67, your full retirement age, rather than 70.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
“We must cleanse our spirits for their coming. We must forgo shifgrethor, forbid all acts of vengeance, and unite together without envy as brothers of one Hearth.”
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
