forfeit

1 of 4

noun (1)

for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
Synonyms of forfeit
1
: something forfeited or subject to being forfeited (as for a crime, offense, or neglect of duty) : penalty
They were required to pay a forfeit.
2
: forfeiture especially of civil rights
3
a
: something deposited (as for making a mistake in a game) and then redeemed on payment of a fine
b
forfeits plural : a game in which forfeits are exacted

forfeit

2 of 4

verb

forfeited; forfeiting; forfeits

transitive verb

1
: to lose or lose the right to especially by some error, offense, or crime
were late and had to forfeit the match
They forfeited my respect with their behavior.
… an attorney who breaches his fiduciary duty … may be required to forfeit all or part of his fee …—Burrow v. Arce, 997 S.W.2d 229, 1999
2
: to subject to confiscation as a forfeit
also : abandon, give up
forfeitable
ˈfȯr-fə-tə-bəl How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
adjective
forfeiter noun

forfeit

3 of 4

adjective

: forfeited or subject to forfeiture
"And so," continued the Witch, "that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me."—C. S. Lewis

forfeiter

4 of 4

noun (2)

for·​feit·​er
-fə̇tə(r)
plural -s
: one that forfeits

Synonyms of forfeit

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Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of forfeit in a Sentence

Noun (1) the forfeit for each baseball player involved in the brawl was $5,000 Verb He forfeited his right to a trial by jury. They didn't have enough players, so they ended up having to forfeit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Last season, the team’s win over Mansfield Summit was ruled a forfeit. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026 Thursday night’s game will go down as a forfeit, the Revolution said. — David K. Li, NBC news, 18 June 2026
Verb
The judge ordered Guo to forfeit $889 million in restitution. — CNN Money, 30 June 2026 If venue personnel deem any person to be a threat, or otherwise unfit, in their sole discretion, he or she will not be permitted access and shall forfeit the prize. — AJC.com, 30 June 2026
Adjective
She was ultimately ordered to serve prison time, pay millions in restitution, and forfeit luxury goods tied to the case. — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 12 May 2026 Brazil was awarded a 2-0 forfeit victory because Chile did not consult game officials. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forfeit

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Adjective

Middle English forfait, from Anglo-French, from past participle of forfaire, forsfaire to commit a crime, forfeit, from fors outside (from Latin foris) + faire to do, from Latin facere — more at forum, do

Noun (2)

Middle English forfaitour, forfetour, from Middle French forfaiteur, forfetour, from forfait, forfet + -eur -or

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forfeit was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing forfeit

Browse Nearby Words

for fear of
forfeit
forfeitable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forfeit. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

forfeit

1 of 2 noun
for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
: something forfeited : penalty, fine

forfeit

2 of 2 verb
: to lose or lose the right to as a punishment for an error, offense, or crime
forfeiter noun

Legal Definition

forfeit

1 of 3 noun
for·​feit ˈfȯr-fət How to pronounce forfeit (audio)
: something forfeited or subject to being forfeited

forfeit

2 of 3 transitive verb
1
: to lose or lose the right to by some default, failure, or neglect of obligation or duty or by some offense
shall forfeit to the United States…any proceeds which the person obtained, directly or indirectly, from racketeering activity—U.S. Code
2
: to subject to forfeiture
it shall be placed in the custody of the Collector, who…shall cause a notice of the seizure and intention to forfeit and sell the same—Morgan v. United States, 107 F. Supp. 501 (1952)
forfeitability
ˌfȯr-fə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun
forfeitable adjective

forfeit

3 of 3 adjective
: forfeited or subject to forfeiture
Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, from Middle French forfait, past participle of forfaire to commit a crime, from fors outside + faire to do

More from Merriam-Webster on forfeit

Nglish: Translation of forfeit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about forfeit

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