- past participle of forget.
forgotten
Americanverb
verb
Usage
See forget.
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Something that's forgotten isn't remembered or considered. Your forgotten mail might sit in the mailbox all weekend, if you simply don't think about it. Your English teacher might reassure you that the bad grade you got on a paper last month is forgotten, and you could find that as you start reading a great book, your difficult day is forgotten. In both cases, something is overlooked, disregarded or erased from memory. Forgotten comes from forget, from the Old English forgietan, "fail to remember" or "neglect inadvertently."
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.
Chief Executive of Action in Rural Communities England Corinne Pluchino said: "Without specific targeted support for heating oil and LPG users, thousands of rural people risk becoming the forgotten victims of the energy crisis."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The subject was largely forgotten as panelists spoke about how this energy shock will evolve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
R.E.M. always had a sense of humor that felt like it got forgotten or overlooked once they were playing stadiums.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
This next example would be good for every 25-year-old to tape to his or her fridge so it’s not forgotten.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
But every day, winter and summer for the rest of her life, Rose-Ivy visited Mary’s grave, planting flowers, tending to the weeds, and talking to her, so she knew she wasn’t forgotten.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
