Meanings
plural forfeits
- countableuncountableA penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.
That he our deadly forfeit should release
1629, John Milton, On the Morning of Christ's Nativity - countableuncountableA 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.
1 more example
Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal / Remit thy other forfeits.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i] - countableuncountableSomething deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine as part of a game.
Country dances and forfeits shortened the rest of the day.
1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC
present singular third person forfeits · participle present forfeiting · participle past forfeited · past forfeited
- 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.
- 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.
Synonyms: capitulate, surrender, disqualify, forgo, withgo
- To be guilty of a misdeed; to be criminal; to transgress.
- To fail to keep an obligation.
I will have the heart of him if he forfeit.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i] - lawOf government officials: to legally remove property from its previous owners.
After the raid on USPV, Plaintiffs filed claims with the FBI seeking return of their seized property. The government did not return the property in response to these claims; instead, it indicated that it was seeking to forfeit the property.
2024 January 23, Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr., Snitko v. United States, archived from the original on 24 Jan 2024
- not comparableLost or alienated for an offense or crime; liable to penal seizure.
to tread the forfeit paradise
1867, Ralph Waldo Emerson, May-Day
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo 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
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivesurrendered as a penalty
nouna penalty for a fault or mistake that involves losing or giving up something
nounthe act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
verblose (something) or lose the right to (something) by some error, offense, or crime
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinforis factum
- Old Frenchforfait“crime”
- Middle Englishforfait
- Englishforfeit
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian глоба, залог
- глоба (globa)penalty
- залог (zalog)something deposited and redeemable
- вреда (vreda)injury, wrong, mischief
- губя (gubja)to suffer the loss
- лишавам се от (lišavam se ot)to suffer the loss
- предавам се (predavam se)to give up in defeat
- предам се (predam se)to give up in defeat
- отнет (otnet)lost or alienated
- отчужден (otčužden)lost or alienated
Catalan pena, penyora
- penapenalty
- penyorasomething deposited and redeemable
- perdreto suffer the loss
- desmerèixerto suffer the loss
- desistirto suffer the loss
- rendir-seto give up in defeat
- abandonarto give up in defeat
Chinese Mandarin 懲罰 /惩罚
- 懲罰 /惩罚 (chéngfá)something deposited and redeemable
Czech cena (za co), daň (za co)
- cena (za co)penalty
- daň (za co)penalty
- ztrátasomething taken in requital of a misdeed committed
- fantsomething deposited and redeemable
- ztratitto suffer the loss
- pozbýtto suffer the loss
- připravit se (o co)to suffer the loss
- přijít (o co)to suffer the loss
- prohrát kontumačněto give up in defeat
- vzdát seto give up in defeat
Danish miste, forspilde
- misteto suffer the loss
- forspildeto suffer the loss
- fortabeto suffer the loss
Dutch verkwanselen, verliezen
- verkwanselento suffer the loss
- verliezento suffer the loss
- verspelento suffer the loss
- opgevento give up in defeat
- verbeurento give up in defeat
French gage, perdre
- gagesomething deposited and redeemable
- perdreto suffer the loss
- démériterto suffer the loss
- abandonnerto give up in defeat
- déclarer forfaitto give up in defeat
German Strafe, Pfand
- Strafepenalty
- Pfandsomething deposited and redeemable
- verwirkento suffer the loss
- einbüßento suffer the loss
- verspielento suffer the loss
- aufgebento give up in defeat
- drangebento give up in defeat
- verwirktlost or alienated
Greek πρόστιμο, τίμημα
- πρόστιμο (próstimo)penalty
- τίμημα (tímima)penalty
- στερούμαι (steroúmai)to suffer the loss
- χάνω (cháno)to give up in defeat
Hungarian felad
- feladto give up in defeat
Irish pionós, lig ar ceal
- pionóspenalty
- lig ar cealto suffer the loss
Latin perdo
- perdoto suffer the loss
Persian جزا, از دست دادن
- جزا (jazâ)penalty
- از دست دادن (az dast dâdan)to suffer the loss
Polish stracić, zrzec się
- stracićto suffer the loss
- zrzec sięto give up in defeat
- zrezygnowaćto give up in defeat
Portuguese penalidade, prenda
- penalidadepenalty
- prendasomething deposited and redeemable
- perderto suffer the loss
- render-seto give up in defeat
- desistirto give up in defeat
- abandonarto give up in defeat
Russian распла́та, штраф
- распла́та (raspláta)penalty
- штраф (štraf)penalty
- утра́чивать (utráčivatʹ)to suffer the loss
- утра́тить (utrátitʹ)to suffer the loss
- лиша́ться (lišátʹsja)to suffer the loss
- лиши́ться (lišítʹsja)to suffer the loss
- сдава́ться (sdavátʹsja)to give up in defeat
- сда́ться (sdátʹsja)to give up in defeat
Scottish Gaelic caill
- caillto suffer the loss
Slovak penále, pokuta
- penálepenalty
- pokutapenalty
- prepadnúťto suffer the loss
- stratiťto suffer the loss
- vzdaťto give up in defeat
Spanish prenda, desmerecer de
- prendasomething deposited and redeemable
- desmerecer deto suffer the loss
- desmerecerse deto suffer the loss
- rendirseto give up in defeat
Swedish förverka, förlora på walk over
- förverkato suffer the loss
- förlora på walk overto give up in defeat
- lämna walk overto give up in defeat
- förverkadlost or alienated
Tamil இழ
- இழ (iḻa)to suffer the loss
Ukrainian неусто́йка, штраф
- неусто́йка (neustójka)penalty
- штраф (štraf)penalty
- пеня́ (penjá)penalty
- розпла́та (rozpláta)penalty
Cite this entry
forfeit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forfeit
“forfeit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forfeit. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forfeit,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forfeit.
Source: forfeit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.