Forgo vs Forego: What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Use?

Forgo and forego are two English words that are frequently confused because they look almost identical and are sometimes used interchangeably in informal writing. However, they have different meanings and histories. Forgo usually means to give up, do without, or choose not to have something, while forego traditionally means to go before or precede something.

The confusion becomes more interesting because forego also appears in the expression “foregone conclusion,” where it has a related historical meaning. In modern English, forego is much less common than forgo and many writers accidentally add the extra e when they mean “give up.” Knowing the distinction can help you avoid an easy spelling mistake and choose the right word for professional, academic and everyday writing.

Quick Answer

Forgo means to give up, skip, or do without something. Forego traditionally means to go before or precede something. If you mean “give up” or “do without,” use forgo. The related adjective foregone means something that has already been decided or is inevitable.

Why People Confuse Forgo and Forego

The words differ by only one letter:

• forgo
• forego

They also look as though they might be different spellings of the same word.

Another reason for the confusion is the common expression “foregone conclusion.” People often see foregone and assume that forego must mean “give up” or “go without.”

In modern usage, however, the distinction is useful:

forgo = give up or do without

forego = go before or precede

Forgo

Forgo means to give up, go without or deliberately choose not to have or do something.

It often describes a voluntary decision to avoid something.

Examples

• I decided to forgo dessert.
• She chose to forgo the opportunity.
• He forwent his usual morning coffee.
• We decided to forgo the trip this year.

The past tense of forgo is forwent, and the past participle is forgone.

Forgo vs Give Up

Forgo is often slightly more formal than give up or skip.

Compare:

I decided to give up dessert.

I decided to forgo dessert.

Both are grammatical, but forgo can sound more deliberate or formal.

Forego

Forego traditionally means to go before, precede, or come earlier than something else.

It is related to the idea of something coming before another thing.

For example:

A brief introduction foregoes the main presentation.

In this sense, something precedes or comes before something else.

However, forego is relatively uncommon in contemporary English. Modern writers are much more likely to use precede when this is the intended meaning.

Important Note About “Forego”

You may encounter forego in older, formal, or specialized writing, but it is not the word you normally want when you mean “give up.”

If you write:

I decided to forego dessert.

Many readers will understand what you mean, but forgo is the standard choice for this meaning.

Forgo vs Forego: Comparison Table

Word	Main Meaning	Commonness	Example
Forgo	Give up, skip, or do without	Very common	I decided to forgo dessert.
Forego	Go before or precede	Uncommon	The introduction foregoes the main discussion.
Foregone	Already decided, inevitable, or previously determined	Common in the phrase “foregone conclusion”	The result was a foregone conclusion.

When to Use Forgo

Use forgo when you mean:

• give up
• do without
• skip
• decline
• choose not to have
• voluntarily avoid

Examples

• She decided to forgo the invitation.
• We chose to forgo the expensive option.
• He forwent his usual lunch.
• They decided to forgo the ceremony.

Common Structure

forgo + noun

She decided to forgo the opportunity.

You can also use it with an activity:

He chose to forgo eating out.

When to Use Forego

Use forego only when you specifically mean to precede or come before.

Because this use is uncommon, precede is usually clearer in modern English.

For example:

A short introduction precedes the lecture.

This is much more natural than:

A short introduction foregoes the lecture.

If your intended meaning is “give up,” don’t use forego.

Forgo, Forego, and Foregone

These three forms can cause additional confusion.

Forgo

Present tense:

I forgo dessert when I’m trying to eat less sugar.

Meaning: give up or do without.

Forgone

Past participle of forgo:

She has forgone her usual routine.

Meaning: given up or done without.

Forego

Traditionally means:

to go before or precede.

Foregone

Traditionally means:

having gone before.

But foregone is much more familiar today in the phrase:

a foregone conclusion

This means a result that is already obvious, inevitable, or effectively decided.

The Tricky Case: “Foregone Conclusion”

Foregone conclusion is one of the main reasons people confuse these words.

A foregone conclusion is an outcome that is already considered certain or inevitable.

Example:

With the team leading by five goals in the final minute, victory was a foregone conclusion.

Here, foregone does not mean “given up.”

It is connected to the older sense of something being previously determined or already known.

12 Examples of Forgo

1. I decided to forgo dessert.
2. She chose to forgo the opportunity.
3. We decided to forgo the expensive hotel.
4. He forwent his usual breakfast.
5. They chose to forgo the ceremony.
6. She decided to forgo a vacation this year.
7. I would rather forgo the purchase and save money.
8. He forwent his usual afternoon coffee.
9. The company chose to forgo the additional expense.
10. She has forgone many luxuries to save for a house.
11. We decided to forgo the formal dinner.
12. He chose to forgo the promotion because it required relocation.

Examples of Forego

Because forego is uncommon, examples are less frequent in modern English.

• The opening remarks forego the main discussion.
• A brief introduction foregoes the main presentation.
• The preliminary section forewent the detailed analysis.

In most modern contexts, however, precede would be clearer:

The opening remarks precede the main discussion.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Writing “forego” when you mean “give up”

❌ She decided to forego dessert.

✅ She decided to forgo dessert.

Mistake 2: Assuming “foregone” means “given up”

The word foregone in foregone conclusion does not mean “given up.”

The election result was a foregone conclusion.

It means the result was already considered certain or inevitable.

Mistake 3: Confusing “forgo” with “forget”

Forgo does not mean forget.

• forgo = deliberately give up
• forget = fail to remember

For example:

I decided to forgo dessert.

means you deliberately chose not to eat it.

What Is the Past Tense of Forgo?

The past tense of forgo is forwent.

The forms are:

forgo → forwent → forgone

Examples:

• Present: I forgo dessert.
• Past: I forwent dessert.
• Perfect: I have forgone dessert.

A common mistake is to use forgoed, but forwent is the standard past tense.

❌ I forgoed the meal.

✅ I forwent the meal.

Memory Trick

The easiest way to remember the difference is:

Forgo = Give Up

Think:

FORGO = GO WITHOUT

If you choose not to have or do something, use forgo.

Forego = Go Before

Think:

FORE = BEFORE

So:

forego = go before

Although this meaning is uncommon today, the memory trick helps distinguish the spellings.

Remember the “E”

The extra e in forego can remind you of before:

FORE → BEFORE

Therefore:

forego → go before

American vs British English

The distinction between forgo and forego is essentially the same in American and British English.

Forgo is the standard word for “give up” in both varieties.

Forego exists in both varieties but is relatively uncommon in contemporary usage. The verb precede is generally more natural when the intended meaning is “come before.”

Similar Words

Words Similar to Forgo

• give up
• skip
• abandon
• decline
• relinquish
• sacrifice
• do without
• abstain from

Words Similar to Forego

• precede
• come before
• lead
• go ahead of

Words Similar to Foregone

• predetermined
• inevitable
• certain
• expected
• already decided

Forgo vs Forego: Which One Should You Use?

If you’re writing a sentence and mean “give up,” “skip,” or “do without,” choose forgo.

If you genuinely mean “go before” or “precede,” forego can be used, although precede is usually clearer and more familiar in modern English.

For most everyday writing, the important distinction is:

forgo = give up

forego = precede

Final Verdict

Forgo and forego are not simply interchangeable spellings. Forgo means to give up, skip, or do without something, and it is the word you should use in sentences such as “I decided to forgo dessert.”

Forego traditionally means to go before or precede something and is much less common in modern English. Meanwhile, foregone remains familiar in expressions such as “a foregone conclusion.” When you mean “give up,” remember: forgo, without the extra e.

Remember This

FORGO = GIVE UP / DO WITHOUT

FOREGO = GO BEFORE / PRECEDE

And:

FORGO → FORWENT → FORGONE

If you mean “give up,” choose forgo.

FAQs

Is it forgo or forego?

If you mean “give up” or “do without,” the correct choice is forgo. Forego traditionally means “to precede.”

Is “forego” a correct word?

Yes. Forego is a real word, traditionally meaning “to go before” or “precede,” but it is uncommon in modern English.

What does forgo mean?

Forgo means to voluntarily give up, skip, decline, or do without something.

What is the past tense of forgo?

The past tense is forwent, not forgoed.

The verb forms are:

forgo → forwent → forgone

What does “foregone conclusion” mean?

A foregone conclusion is an outcome that is already considered certain, obvious, or inevitable.

Is it “forgo dessert” or “forego dessert”?

The standard choice is forgo dessert when you mean deliberately choosing not to have dessert.

Is forgo formal English?

Yes. Forgo is a standard word and can be used in everyday, professional, academic, and formal writing.

Conclusion

The difference between forgo and forego becomes easy once you focus on their meanings. Forgo means to give something up or deliberately do without it, while forego traditionally means to go before or precede. Because forego is relatively uncommon, forgo is the word you will need in most situations involving the idea of giving something up.

The phrase “foregone conclusion” is the major exception that often causes confusion. Remember that foregone there means something already considered certain or inevitable. For everyday writing, keep the simple rule in mind: forgo = give up; forego = go before.