ENGLISH
REFERENCE

forfeit

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfɔɹfɪt// UK //fˈɔːfɪt// for·feit Archaic

v. to lose or give up something as a punishment for doing something wrong. You might lose a right, a prize, or a game because you broke a rule.

v. to lose or surrender a right, property, or privilege as a consequence of a crime, breach of contract, or neglect of duty. Often describes the automatic loss of a competition due to a rules violation.


SIMPLE

If you break the rules, you will forfeit your prize.

CONTEXTUAL

The team had to forfeit the match because they did not have enough players available to start on time.

COMPLEX

Under the terms of the agreement, the developer will forfeit their initial deposit if they fail to secure the necessary building permits within the six-month grace period.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; frequently used in legal, sporting, and formal contexts.

Pitfall

he was forfeited his righthe forfeited his rightForfeit is an active verb where the subject loses the object; it is not typically used in the passive 'to be forfeited' when referring to the person losing the item.

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