forego

1 of 2

verb (1)

fore·​go fȯr-ˈgō How to pronounce forego (audio)
forewent fȯr-ˈwent How to pronounce forego (audio) ; foregone fȯr-ˈgȯn How to pronounce forego (audio)
 also  -ˈgän
; foregoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forego (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

: to go before : precede
The story of his mishap forewent him.
foregoer noun

forego

2 of 2

verb (2)

fore·​go

less common spelling of forgo

transitive verb

1
: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without
never forwent an opportunity of honest profitR. L. Stevenson
decided to forgo dessert for a few days
2
archaic : forsake

Examples of forego in a Sentence

Verb (1) if the sparse crowds are any indication of the public's interest in the presidential candidate, then his reputation obviously foregoes him
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Vance piled pressure on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by calling on both sides to accept the American framework for peace, which includes agreeing to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, mostly freezing the frontlines of the conflict and foregoing future NATO membership. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025 Division of film rights, foregoing worldwide rights and selling territory by territory and lowering American doc budgets were also topics of conversation during the hour-long lunch. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025 The track is an early glimpse of the modern Tyler, who foregoes shock lyrics on a jazzy instrumental featuring inspirational Kali Uchis vocals toward the end. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025 Immune cells may forego an attack on the cancer and protect it instead. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forego

Word History

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forego was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

forego

1 of 2 verb
fore·​go fōr-ˈgō How to pronounce forego (audio)
fȯr-
forewent
-ˈwent
; foregone -ˈgȯn How to pronounce forego (audio)
 also  -ˈgän
; foregoing -ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forego (audio)
: to go before : precede
foregoer noun

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo

More from Merriam-Webster on forego

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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