verb

forfeit

FAW-fiht

verb

To lose or give up something as a penalty for breaking a rule or agreement.

"Players who arrive late forfeit their turn."

"She forfeited her deposit by canceling at the last minute."

noun

Something lost or given up as a penalty.

"The team took the forfeit rather than play a weakened lineup."

How to Use Forfeit

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo lose something — money, a right, a game — because you broke a rule or failed to show up.

Common pairings

forfeit the game forfeit a deposit forfeit the right to

forfeited past tense, forfeit past tense, forfeits plural, forfeits singular

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Can you complete this real example?

Players who arrive late _____ their turn.

From Old French forfait ("crime"), from forfaire ("to transgress"). The meaning shifted over time from the crime itself to the penalty for it.

deceit albeit conceit Fahrenheit gesundheit counterfeit