forego

1 of 2

verb (1)

fore·​go fȯr-ˈgō 

forewent fȯr-ˈwent  ; foregone fȯr-ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; foregoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ 

-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

: to go before : precede

The story of his mishap forewent him.

foregoer

fȯr-ˈgō-ər 

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 profit

—R. L. Stevenson

decided to forgo dessert for a few days

2

archaic : forsake

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• antecede
• antedate
• precede
• predate
• preexist

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

Verb

Defeated, Wendy eventually foregoes the birthday festivity to designate herself the referee and arbitrator of the two feuding camps. —Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

Due to reallocating funds to caregiving expenses and foregoing essential retirement contributions, caregivers who begin their duties at a younger age risk an average 40% to 90% deficit in retirement savings, depending on salary, by age 65 compared to non-caregivers, the study said. —Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024

Here, experts explain what a double mastectomy is, when it’s recommended, and the risks of foregoing a surgical cancer treatment at the recommendation of your care team. —Maggie O'Neill, Health, 18 Oct. 2024

After mulling it over, Mirren decided to just forego the milk. —Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

forego

1 of 2 verb

fore·​go fōr-ˈgō 

fȯr-

forewent

-ˈwent

; foregone -ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; foregoing -ˈgō-iŋ 

: to go before : precede

foregoer

-ˈgō(-ə)r 

noun

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo