forgo Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb do without or cease to hold or adhere to
    relinquish; foreswear; forego; waive; dispense with.
    • We are dispensing with formalities
    • relinquish the old ideas
  2. verb be earlier in time; go back further
    antecede; forego; predate; antedate; precede.
    • Stone tools precede bronze tools
  3. verb lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime
    throw overboard; forego; forfeit; waive; give up.
    • you've forfeited your right to name your successor
    • forfeited property

WordNet

For*go" transitive verb
Etymology
OE. forgan, forgon, forgoon, AS. forgan, prop., to go past, hence, to abstain from; pref. for- + gan to go; akin to G. vergehen to pass away, to transgress. See Go, v. i.
Wordforms
imperfect Forwent; past participle Forgone; present participle & verbal noun Forgoing
Definitions
  1. To pass by; to leave. See 1st Forego.
    For sith [since] I shall forgoon my liberty At your request. Chaucer.
    And four [days] since Florimell the court forwent. Spenser.
    ✍ This word in spelling has been confused with, and almost superseded by, forego to go before. Etymologically the form forgo is correct.

Webster 1913