From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishforfeitfor‧feit1 /ˈfɔːfɪt $ ˈfɔːr-/ verb [transitive] LOSE/NOT HAVE ANYMOREto lose a right, position, possession etc or have it taken away from you because you have broken a law or rule By being absent from the trial, he forfeited the right to appeal. She was fined £3,000 and ordered to forfeit her car.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
forfeit• Before the departure for Paris, Mrs Maugham fortunately forfeited her position by various gratuitous and irrelevant remarks about the expense.• The tribunal concluded that he should be dismissed and banned for three years from public office, forfeiting his seat in parliament.• The illusion of mastery would prove difficult to forfeit, however, and would plague them throughout the first year.• If a team does not show up with enough players, they forfeit the game.• And once it has forfeited the power to act, the organization becomes both reactive and reactionary.• They had not only forfeited the right to a political vote.• Pregnant teenage girls will have to live with their parents or forfeit their benefits.• The same rule applies to athletes who forfeit their scholarships entirely.• In hospital, however, the patient usually forfeits this responsibility and becomes dependent on nursing, medical and pharmaceutical staff.• Bidders are now required to post six-figure performance bonds, to be forfeited upon failure.forfeited ... right• They had not only forfeited the right to a political vote.• They and their values had also forfeited the right to exist.• He no longer believed in himself, and knew he had forfeited the right to have others believe in him.forfeitforfeit2 noun [countable] LOSE/NOT HAVE ANYMOREsomething that is taken away from you or something that you have to pay, because you have broken a rule or made a mistakeExamples from the Corpus
forfeit• If the plate falls the player must pay a forfeit.• The Dorsey High football team was declared the winner by forfeit.• It was vital here to pay proper attention to every step, or the river would claim forfeit.• They insist that the forfeit of self-esteem must be paid.• Thereafter, with both players short of time and in some danger of losing by time forfeit, Kasparov counter-attacked.forfeitforfeit3 adjective → be forfeitFrom Longman Business Dictionaryforfeitfor‧feit /ˈfɔːfətˈfɔːr-/ verb [transitive]1LAW to lose property or the legal right to something because you have broken the lawThe company will forfeit all its assets to the federal government.2to lose rights, benefits etcState government employees may have to forfeit vacation days or salary due to the fiscal crisis.He will have to persuade investors to forfeit $215 million in principal and interest payments over the next year.→ See Verb tableOrigin forfeit2 (1200-1300) Old French forfet, past participle of forfaire “to do a crime” 