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

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
For an entirely different trip that foregoes the sea, spend a few days wine tasting in Anderson Valle. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2024 The current budget proposal foregoes funding for universal pre-K. Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Josie Raymond, D-Louisville, criticized the absence of pre-K in the GOP budget bill. The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2024 More of today’s Gen Z high-schoolers are making their way into the workforce, picking up after school and summer jobs, and reversing a trend of foregoing work when millennials were teens. Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024 Teams in Florida swapped out the valve but decided to forego a launch opportunity Thursday night and target Friday night for the next launch attempt. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2023 Yet, those such as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds are willing to forego even these meager amounts. Patricia Lopez, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 Most children don’t know their rights and are easily persuaded to forego them. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2024 Beshear's budget proposal includes $172 million each year for universal pre-K, while the GOP version foregoes universal pre-K, which House leaders have said is a non-starter. Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 21 Jan. 2024 That has made many unwilling to forego their existing loans in order to take on a new mortgage at a higher rate. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forego.' 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

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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