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
Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration last month, after having foregone a donation to Trump's inauguration in 2017. Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025 Ultimately, his reason for foregoing the purchase was a reasonable one. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024 In foregoing any criminal charges, prosecutors cited a toxicology report prepared by the Medical Examiner’s Office that found methamphetamine in Kamara’s system. Jeff McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024 Popular on Variety Wilde also discussed wanting to be an actress from the age of three, and then foregoing college to instead move to Hollywood at the age of 18. Alex Ritman, Variety, 8 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near forego

Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 21 Jan. 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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