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
Trump has publicly stated that Ukraine may need to accept certain Russian conditions for peace, including ceding Crimea and foregoing NATO membership. Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 Satellite operators are responding predictably, by foregoing coverage. Tom Brown, Space.com, 28 June 2025 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 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 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

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