What does forfeit mean?
Forfeit means to lose or surrender something — money, property, a right, or a contest — as a penalty for breaking a rule, failing an obligation, or committing an offence. It functions as a noun (a fine or penalty paid), a verb (to give up or lose something under penalty), and, less commonly, an adjective describing something liable to be lost this way. The word appears frequently in law, where forfeiture governs everything from seized assets to lapsed deposits, and in sport, where a team may forfeit a match by failing to field players or by withdrawing. Its connotations are inherently negative: a forfeit is never voluntary generosity but always a consequence imposed from outside. Derived forms such as forfeiture, forfeitable, and forfeited extend its reach into formal legal vocabulary, while colloquial uses — like paying a party-game forfeit — soften it into playful penalty.
A fine, payment, or thing (such as property or a right) that must be given up as a penalty for an offence, breach of contract, or failure to fulfil an obligation.
"Missing the deadline meant paying a forfeit of five hundred pounds."
To lose, or be required to give up, something as a penalty for a fault or failure to meet an obligation.
"She chose to forfeit her claim to the inheritance rather than endure a lengthy court battle."
Subject to confiscation or loss as a penalty (now rare, mostly historical or legal).
"All his goods were declared forfeit to the Crown."
The plural 'forfeits' applies when referring to multiple fines or penalties, most familiarly in the parlour game of Forfeits where players pay small penalties.
"Each player who broke the rules collected a growing list of forfeits."
In medieval England, if you failed to appear in court you could 'forfeit' your lands entirely to the Crown — meaning the word once carried the weight of losing your entire estate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of forfeit
Forfeit derives ultimately from the medieval Latin phrase 'foris factum', meaning 'done outside' — that is, an act committed beyond the law's protection, which caused one to lose one's goods or rights. It entered English via Old French 'forfait' during the Middle Ages, initially carrying strong legal connotations of crime and confiscation. Cognate Romance forms survive in modern French ('forfait') and other languages shaped by medieval Latin legal usage. Over time the sense broadened from criminal confiscation to cover any penalty or loss incurred through breach of obligation, including sporting defaults and party-game penalties.
Related word forms
How forfeit is actually used
Forfeit is common in both legal and sporting contexts. In law, it usually refers to losing property, money, or rights under a statute or contract; in sport, it refers to conceding or losing a game by default rather than play. The tone is generally neutral to negative — it implies loss brought about by one's own action or omission.
Easily confused with forfeit
Forefit is not a real English word; misspelling it this way is a common error — the correct spelling is forfeit, with the 'o' before the 'r'.