Forfeit definition

fôrfĭt
forfeited forfeiting forfeits
See word origin
Frequency:
To lose or give up (something) on account of an offense, error, or failure to fulfill an agreement.

The other team did not show up in time and so forfeited the game.

verb
8
1
The act of forfeiting.

The team lost the game by forfeit.

noun
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Lost or subject to loss through forfeiture.
adjective
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Something that one loses or has to give up because of some crime, fault, or neglect of duty; specif., a fine or penalty.
noun
1
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In parlor games, an item placed in escrow and redeemed by paying a fine or performing an appointed task.
noun
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A game in which forfeits are demanded.
noun
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The act of forfeiting; forfeiture.
noun
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A thing taken away as a penalty for making some mistake in a game, and redeemable by a specified action.
noun
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Any game in which such forfeits are taken.
noun
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Lost, given up, or taken away as a forfeit.
adjective
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To lose, give up, or be deprived of as a forfeit for some crime, fault, etc.
verb
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A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.

That he our deadly forfeit should release (John Milton, On the Morning of Christ's Nativity, 1629)

noun
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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.

noun
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Something deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine as part of a game.
noun
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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.

verb
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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.

verb
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To be guilty of a misdeed; to be criminal; to transgress.
verb
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To fail to keep an obligation.
verb
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Lost or alienated for an offense or crime; liable to penal seizure.
adjective
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To forfeit is to give something up or have something taken away, often as a penalty for doing something wrong or in order to make something else possible.

An example of forefeit is when you lose your driver's license because you got too many tickets.

An example of forfeit is when you give up your day off to make more money.

verb
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To subject to seizure as a forfeit.
verb
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1
Something that is lost or given up on account of an offense, error, or failure to fulfill an agreement.
noun
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1

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
forfeit
Plural:
forfeits

Origin of forfeit

  • Middle English forfet crime, penalty from Old French forfait past participle of forfaire to commit a crime, act outside the law fors- beyond foreclose faire to do feasible

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English 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.

    From Wiktionary

Forfeit Sentence Examples

  • If you don't, you will forfeit the deposit.

  • In these circumstances the law held the criminal's life forfeit, and he might be slain or taken as a prisoner or slave.

  • In return for these privileges the lord was liable to forfeit his rights if he neglected to protect and defend the tenant or did anything injurious to the feudal relation.

  • The conspiracy failed, and Eustace was sentenced to forfeit his English fiefs.

  • If he bought property belonging to a feudal holding, or to a ward in chancery, he had to return it and forfeit what he gave for it as well.

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Words near forfeit in the Dictionary