foregoing

adjective

fore·​go·​ing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce foregoing (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
: listed, mentioned, or occurring before
the foregoing statement can be proven
Let me elaborate on the foregoing paragraph.
Choose the Right Synonym for foregoing

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before.

preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

the preceding sentence

antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

conditions antecedent to the revolution

foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

the foregoing remarks

previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

a child from a previous marriage
a prior obligation

former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

the former name of the company

anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

the anterior lobe of the brain

Examples of foregoing in a Sentence

your foregoing statement contradicts your latest one for the foregoing reasons, I believe that we have no choice but to deliver a guilty verdict
Recent Examples on the Web That is consistent with a shift observed in March last year among seniors, which authorities theorized could be driven by less severe disease in hospitals or more foregoing hospital care. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 4 May 2023 City dwellers are increasingly foregoing car ownership. Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2019 The image below shows what is perhaps the key element that helped tie all the foregoing aspects together. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 5 July 2022 As seen, in all of the foregoing 20-year periods surveyed, the stock index possessed average annual returns exceeding that of the rate of inflation. Dan Cupkovic, Forbes, 16 June 2022 The daily average is also now a significant undercount, with most people testing positive on rapid tests that go unreported or foregoing testing altogether. Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, 31 May 2022 To those of you that are seriously immersed in the AI field, none of this foregoing pronouncement is surprising or raises any eyebrows. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 May 2022 That should help doctors and patients feel more comfortable foregoing radiation after thyroid surgery, Leboulleux said. Angus Chen, STAT, 10 Mar. 2022 None of the foregoing discussion is intended to imply that collaboration tools are inherently evil or unable to deliver productivity benefits. Mark Settle, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foregoing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foregoing was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near foregoing

Cite this Entry

“Foregoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foregoing. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foregoing

adjective
fore·​go·​ing fōr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce foregoing (audio)
fȯr-
: going before : preceding

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