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
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Verb
Reports indicate the King rarely stopped to eat lunch, foregoing the meal to keep working or taking a stroll around the gardens. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 12 Aug. 2025 Using this system, highly selective schools usually accept a higher percentage of students compared to their regular admission cycle, but in exchange, applicants forego the chance to shop around for better financial aid offers from other schools. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025 That’s what happened last year when Democrat Adam Schiff indirectly helped Republican Steve Garvey place second in the U.S. Senate primary, thereby foregoing a general election duel with Porter. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2025 Kim appears to have opted to forego the KBO draft and instead begin his professional baseball career in the minor leagues with the Texas Rangers. Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 15 Aug. 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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