forfeit

1 of 3

noun

for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
1
: something forfeited or subject to being forfeited (as for a crime, offense, or neglect of duty) : penalty
They were required to pay a forfeit.
2
: forfeiture especially of civil rights
3
a
: something deposited (as for making a mistake in a game) and then redeemed on payment of a fine
b
forfeits plural : a game in which forfeits are exacted

forfeit

2 of 3

verb

forfeited; forfeiting; forfeits

transitive verb

1
: to lose or lose the right to especially by some error, offense, or crime
2
: to subject to confiscation as a forfeit
also : abandon, give up
forfeitable adjective
forfeiter noun

forfeit

3 of 3

adjective

: forfeited or subject to forfeiture

Examples of forfeit in a Sentence

Noun the forfeit for each baseball player involved in the brawl was $5,000 Verb He forfeited his right to a trial by jury. They didn't have enough players, so they ended up having to forfeit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In desperate need of something positive in the wake of a 1-10 season that included six forfeits for using an ineligible player, Orange Glen High School stayed home and named Santiago Rocha head football coach. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 After Lansdowne’s final forfeit, Sean Lippman won a 10-2 major decision over Gavin Teitelbaum for his 24th victory of the season against three losses. Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2024 The Wildcats are riding a 14-game winning streak since their lone loss to Caitlin Clark and No. 3 Iowa that likewise ties a school record, and could be considered 15 straight if a forfeit from TCU for not having enough players is included in the tally. Dave Skretta, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 With the forfeits, Orange Glen finished last season 1-10 and is 6-25 over the last three seasons. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 Following a forfeit at 285 and Sravanth Saladi’s (106) first-period pin, the Mustangs led 34-21, one win away from officially clinching the regional title. Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024 Manchester Valley’s talented 106-pounder Kyle Reid was awarded a forfeit to give the Mavericks a 24-13 lead with five matches left. Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024 Maignan received widespread support from the football world and FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for automatic forfeits for teams whose fans have racially abused players. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024 Lost the 1-A NorCal title game to eventual 1-A state champions Folsom. Jordan Seiden, Piedmont After Piedmont cut its 2022 season short after six games (all losses or forfeits) due to low numbers, little was expected of the Highlanders. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 2 Jan. 2024
Verb
Both men pleaded guilty to the charges, and as part of their plea agreement, agreed to forfeit the rifles, night vision goggles, and other gear, including over 4,000 rounds of ammunition. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 But there will be several talented prospects on the board late in the first round and when the Dolphins are back on the clock in the second round with the 55th pick (Miami forfeited its third-round pick as part of punishment for its tampering violations). Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 The winner has now forfeited the winnings, and the ticket is no longer worth anything, Michelle Griner, a spokesperson with the Florida Lottery, tells PEOPLE. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 As a result, the winner has forfeited the winnings – the ticket is now only worth the paper it was printed on, Michelle Griner, a spokesperson with the Florida Lottery, told CNN. Brammhi Balarajan, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 The restaurant requires a $25 deposit for booking, which guests who do not cancel 24 hours in advance will forfeit. Price: Price depends on the third course selection and ranges between $45 and $100. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 12 Feb. 2024 The Mouse House has had a tough go of it in India, the world’s most populous country, ever since the company forfeited Indian Premier League cricket streaming rights — to Reliance — under Bob Chapek. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Since Scott made the pledge to buy the hotels in 2021, the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services has undergone changes in top leadership and faced scrutiny for $10 million in federal funds that were forfeited. Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 By signing the document, residents forfeit their ability to bring a class action lawsuit against the company, even after their lease expires. Tamia Fowlkes, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Although his birthplace is as yet unknown, Posey became Washington’s property — the bond on a forfeit loan — around the age of 20. Ramin Ganeshram, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Franklin got pins from Tucker Rudo (113 pounds), Xavier Gardner (120), Julian Epps (125), Max Conley (132) and Josh Gray (138) after Dylan Hurd (106) opened the scoring with a forfeit win. Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024 Scripps Ranch sophomore transfer Ava Fodera started it off with a medical forfeit win at 100 pounds. Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2024 The cheating accusations, some of which played out in court, seemed legit to many, including N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who ordered the team to pay a hefty fine, forfeit draft picks and ultimately play four games of the 2016 season without Brady. Bill Pennington, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024 The Gators also were 3-1 in 2020, but that included a forfeit win over B.C. Rain during the COVID year. Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023 It was called a few minutes later, with the Millers awarded the forfeit win. Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2023 The skinny: Huntsville has defeated its Rocket City rival the last four times on the field - Grissom picked up a forfeit win during the 2020 COVID-19 season. al, 5 Sep. 2023 The win came one week after Mission Hills was handed a forfeit win over Lawndale, which surrendered two days before game day while pleading a shortage of healthy players. Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forfeit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

Middle English forfait, from Anglo-French, from past participle of forfaire, forsfaire to commit a crime, forfeit, from fors outside (from Latin foris) + faire to do, from Latin facere — more at forum, do

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forfeit was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near forfeit

Cite this Entry

“Forfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forfeit. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

forfeit

1 of 2 noun
for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
: something forfeited : penalty, fine

forfeit

2 of 2 verb
: to lose or lose the right to as a punishment for an error, offense, or crime
forfeiter noun

Legal Definition

forfeit

1 of 3 noun
for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
: something forfeited or subject to being forfeited

forfeit

2 of 3 transitive verb
1
: to lose or lose the right to by some default, failure, or neglect of obligation or duty or by some offense
shall forfeit to the United States…any proceeds which the person obtained, directly or indirectly, from racketeering activityU.S. Code
2
: to subject to forfeiture
it shall be placed in the custody of the Collector, who…shall cause a notice of the seizure and intention to forfeit and sell the sameMorgan v. United States, 107 F. Supp. 501 (1952)
forfeitability
ˌfȯr-fə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun
forfeitable adjective

forfeit

3 of 3 adjective
: forfeited or subject to forfeiture
Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, from Middle French forfait, past participle of forfaire to commit a crime, from fors outside + faire to do

More from Merriam-Webster on forfeit

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