forfeit
English · Thesaurus
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forfeit
- /ˈfɔː.fɪt/ UK
- /ˈfɔɹ.fɪt/ US
- /ˈfɔrfət/ US
Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)fɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English forfait from ca. 1300, from Old French forfait (“crime”), originally the past participle of forfaire (“to transgress”), and Medieval Latin foris factum. During the 15th century, the sense shifted from the crime to the penalty for the crime.
noun forfeits
- A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor. That he our deadly forfeit should release
- A thing forfeited; that which is taken from somebody in requital of a misdeed committed; that which is lost, or the right to which is alienated, by a crime, breach of contract, etc. He who murders pays the forfeit of his own life.
- Something deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine as part of a game. Country dances and forfeits shortened the rest of the day.
- Injury; wrong; mischief. a. 1789, Barry St. Leger, Siege of Nicopolis to seek arms upon people and country that never did us any forfeit
verb forfeits · forfeiting · forfeited · forfeit
- To suffer the loss of something by wrongdoing or non-compliance He forfeited his last chance of an early release from jail by repeatedly attacking another inmate.
-
To lose a contest, game, match, or other form of competition by voluntary withdrawal, by failing to attend or participate, or by violation of the rules
Because only nine players were present, the football team was forced to forfeit the game.
Similar: capitulate, surrender, disqualify, forgo, withgo
- To be guilty of a misdeed; to be criminal; to transgress.
- To fail to keep an obligation. I will have the heart of him if he forfeit.
- Of government officials: to legally remove property from its previous owners. After the raid on USPV, Plaintiffs filed claims with the FBI seeking return of their seized property. The government did not return the property in response to these claims; instead, it indicated that it was seeking to forfeit the property.
adjective
- Lost or alienated for an offense or crime; liable to penal seizure. to tread the forfeit paradise
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: forfeiture, waive, confiscate, give up, forgo, lost, render, sacrifice, throw overboard, surrender, cede, relinquish, renounce, abdicate, abandon, divest
Translations
Every language
noun penalty
| Português | penalidade |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Strafe |
| Ελληνικά | πρόστιμο próstimo, τίμημα tímima |
| Русский | распла́та raspláta, штраф štraf |
noun something deposited and redeemable
| Español | prenda |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 懲罰 /惩罚 chéngfá |
| Português | prenda |
| Français | gage |
| Deutsch | Pfand |
verb to suffer the loss
| Español | desmerecer de, desmerecerse de |
|---|---|
| Português | perder |
| Français | perdre, démériter |
| Deutsch | verwirken, einbüßen, verspielen |
| Ελληνικά | στερούμαι steroúmai |
| Русский | утра́чивать utráčivatʹ, утра́тить utrátitʹ, лиша́ться lišátʹsja, лиши́ться lišítʹsja |
verb to give up in defeat
| Español | rendirse |
|---|---|
| Português | render-se, desistir, abandonar |
| Français | abandonner, déclarer forfait |
| Deutsch | aufgeben, drangeben |
| Ελληνικά | χάνω cháno |
| Русский | сдава́ться sdavátʹsja, сда́ться sdátʹsja |
adj lost or alienated
| Deutsch | verwirkt |
|---|
Talk about this word "forfeit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/forfeit. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. forfeit. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/forfeit "forfeit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/forfeit.Cite this
@misc{forfeit_2026,
title = {forfeit},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/forfeit},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
