# forego

/fɔɹˈɡoʊ/ (US) · /fɔːɡˈəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/forego
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to go before

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to happen or exist before something else.

For teachers: to precede in time, place, rank, or importance. Often used in the present participle form 'foregoing' to refer to things previously mentioned.

- The events that forego the main story are explained in the first chapter.
- The legal team spent hours reviewing the evidence presented in the foregoing paragraphs to ensure no contradictions remained.

Usage: Commonly appears as the present participle 'foregoing' or the past participle 'foregone'.

### 2. to give up

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to decide not to have or do something that you would usually have or do.

For teachers: an alternative spelling of 'forgo', meaning to abstain from or relinquish something desirable.

- She decided to forego her morning coffee to save time.
- The board members agreed to forego their annual bonuses in light of the company's recent financial difficulties.

Teaching tip: While 'forego' is a common variant, many style guides prefer 'forgo' for the sense of 'giving up' to distinguish it from 'preceding'.

## Examples

- I will forego dessert tonight.
- To save money for a new car, we decided to forego our annual summer vacation.
- The company chose to forego short-term profits, reinvesting heavily in research and development to secure its long-term market position.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.