Forfeited
/ˈfɔːrfɪtɪd/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo lose or be deprived of something as a consequence of a fault, crime, or failure to fulfill a condition.
/ˈfɔːrfɪtɪd/
To lose or be deprived of something as a penalty for wrongdoing or a mistake.
He forfeited his chance to win the scholarship by failing to submit his application on time.
💡 Simply: Imagine you break a rule in a game. You forfeit your turn because of it. It means you lose something because you did something wrong or didn't do what you were supposed to do.
👶 For kids: When you forfeit something, it means you lose it because you did something bad or broke a rule.
More Examples
If you break the rules, you will forfeit your privileges.
The company forfeited its assets due to bankruptcy.
She forfeited her citizenship to become a citizen of another country.
How It's Used
"The company forfeited its right to the property after failing to meet the agreed-upon conditions."
"The team forfeited the game due to a lack of players."
Something that is lost or given up as a penalty for an offense or failure.
/ˈfɔːrfɪt/
Something that is lost or given up as a penalty.
The club imposed a hefty forfeit on any member who missed the meeting.
💡 Simply: The 'forfeit' is what you have to give up as a punishment or consequence.
👶 For kids: A forfeit is what you have to give to make up for something bad you did.
More Examples
The company was forced to pay a large forfeit to the government.
The treasure was considered a forfeit, as it was discovered during a crime.
He considered it a forfeit to spend another day at work.
How It's Used
"The players had to pay a forfeit for breaking the team rules."
"The government seized the assets as a forfeit."
Idioms & expressions
forfeit something to something
To lose something as a consequence of a rule or law.
"The company forfeited their assets to the government due to fraud."
From Old French *forfet* ('offense, crime'), from *forfaire* ('to commit a fault'), from *for-* (intensive prefix) + *faire* ('to do').
Historically used in legal contexts to describe the loss of rights or property.
Memory tip
Think of a game where you make a mistake – you forfeit your turn or your points.
Word Origin
"to commit a fault or offense"