It’s a slight but important difference between these two verbs forego vs forgo.
Forego means to go before. Writing Explained has a great tip on knowing when to use forego by remembering that fore- means before in order, space, time, condition, etc.
Forgo means to go without.
“If you forego or forgo dessert, you might not be satiated; if dessert foregoes dinner, you might be too full for dinner” (Nichol).
Just so’s you know, in formal writing you must pay attention to the difference. In casual writing, most standard dictionaries accept either spelling, as long as you explain why you are foregoing/forgoing.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Forego | Forgo |
|---|---|
A Good Stretch is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. — A good stretching session should forego rigorous exercise. |
Greedy Mouse is in the public domain, via PxHere. — This mouse never forgoes a chance for food. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Verb, transitive
Third person present verb: foregoes |
Verb, transitive
Third person present verb: forgoes |
[Archaic] Precede in place or time
|
Omit or decline to take (something pleasant or valuable)
|
| Examples: | |
| So Abdulmelik went away to his house, whither he found that the money had foregone him.
The story of his mishap forewent him. She forewent her partner in death. It is difficult for my heart to express itself; still more difficult for it to forego self- expression. A white Christmas is not a foregone conclusion. Her reputation forgoes her. |
She wanted to forgo the dessert and leave while they could.
We forgo any comparison between the two men. He never forwent an opportunity of honest profit. Many skiers are happy to forgo a summer vacation to go skiing. If you forgo a good stretching session, you might pull a muscle. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: foregoing Noun: foregoer |
Noun: forgoer |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English forgān. | |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Forego versus Forgo
Apple Dictionary.com
“Forgo or Forego: What’s the Difference?” Writing Explained. n.d. Web. 17 Mar 2022. <https://writingexplained.org/forgo-or-forego-difference>.
Nichol, Mark. “Forgo vs. Forego.” Daily Writing Tips. n.d. Web. 17 Mar 2 <https://www.dailywritingtips.com/forgo-vs-forego/>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Steak Dinner is in the public domain, via PxHere. Baked Alaska by Lou Stejskal is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. Dining Room Mural by Rainer Maria Iatzke and courtesy of Dreamworlds LLC is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
