forfeit

English

Etymology

Middle English from ca. 1300, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔː.fɪt/
• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɹ.fɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)fɪt

Noun

forfeit (countable and uncountable, plural forfeits)

1. A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.
   • 1629, John Milton, On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

     That he our deadly forfeit should release

2. 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.

   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal / Remit thy other forfeits.

3. Something deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine as part of a game.
   • (Can we date this quote by Goldsmith and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Country dances and forfeits shortened the rest of the day.

4. (obsolete, rare) Injury; wrong; mischief.
   • (Can we date this quote by Lord Berners and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     to seek arms upon people and country that never did us any forfeit

Translations

penalty

• Bulgarian: глоба (bg) f (globa)
• Greek: πρόστιμο (el) n (próstimo), τίμημα (el) n (tímima)
• Irish: pionós (ga) m
• Portuguese: penalidade (pt) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: распла́та (ru) f (raspláta), штраф (ru) m (štraf)
• Slovak: penále n, pokuta f
• Spanish: penalización f

Verb

forfeit (third-person singular simple present forfeits, present participle forfeiting, simple past and past participle forfeited or (rare) forfeit)

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. To be guilty of a misdeed; to be criminal; to transgress.
4. To fail to keep an obligation.
   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     I will have the heart of him if he forfeit.

Synonyms

• (lose a contest): capitulate, surrender, disqualify
• (voluntarily give up): forgo, withgo

Derived terms

Derived terms

• forfeits
• forfeiture
• nonforfeited

• nonforfeiting
• nonforfeiture

Translations

to suffer the loss

• Bulgarian: губя (bg) (gubja), лишавам се от (lišavam se ot)
• Dutch: verkwanselen (nl), verliezen (nl)
• French: perdre (fr)
• German: verwirken (de)
• Greek: στερούμαι (el) (steroúmai)
• Latin: perdo
• Polish: stracić (pl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: perder (pt)
• Russian: утра́чивать (ru) impf (utráčivatʹ), утра́тить (ru) pf (utrátitʹ), лиша́ться (ru) impf (lišátʹsja), лиши́ться (ru) pf (lišítʹsja) (+ genitive case)
• Scottish Gaelic: caill
• Serbo-Croatian: izgubiti (sh)
• Slovak: prepadnúť, stratiť
• Spanish: perder (es)

to give up in defeat

• Czech: prohrát kontumačně
• Dutch: opgeven (nl), verbeuren (nl)
• French: abandonner (fr), déclarer forfait (fr)
• German: aufgeben (de)
• Greek: χάνω (el) (cháno)
• Polish: zrzec się, zrezygnować (pl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: render-se, desistir (pt)
• Russian: сдава́ться (ru) impf (sdavátʹsja), сда́ться (ru) pf (sdátʹsja)
• Serbo-Croatian: predati (sh)
• Slovak: vzdať
• Spanish: (se) rendir (es)
• Swedish: förlora på walk over (sv), lämna walk over (sv)

Adjective

forfeit (not comparable)

1. Lost or alienated for an offense or crime; liable to penal seizure.
   • (Can we date this quote by Emerson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     to tread the forfeit paradise

Anagrams

• toffier