forfeit

1 of 3

noun

for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət 

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

ˈfȯr-fə-tə-bəl 

adjective

forfeiter noun

forfeit

3 of 3

adjective

: forfeited or subject to forfeiture

Synonyms

Noun

• damages
• fine
• forfeiture
• mulct
• penalty

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

Northwestern’s women’s basketball team will be issued two forfeits, which will count as losses, for scheduled games against UCLA and USC that were initially postponed in January due to the deadly wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area. —Alex Andrejev, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025

There also were two more forfeits because of a bench-clearing brawl involving West Adams and Sotomayor. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024

Verb

The athlete played on Waldorf’s girls’ volleyball team in the fall, prompting a playoff forfeit by Stone Ridge Christian in November. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025

Falling to fifth would mean forfeiting home-court advantage in the first round. —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2025

Adjective

Senior Matt Randolph had a forfeit win at 152, while senior Ethan Dvorak won 5-0 at 160. —Tom Schardin, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Victory Christian; 7-12; 21; 9 * Includes 4 forfeit losses and 1 forfeit win. —Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing forfeit

• by forfeit

Kids Definition

forfeit

1 of 2 noun

for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət 

: 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 

: 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 activity

—U.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 same

—Morgan 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