Word: forfeit (verb, noun)

Associations

The word "forfeit" means to lose something as a result of a mistake, breaking a rule, or failing to do something. It can be used as a verb ("to forfeit") or as a noun ("a forfeit").

• As a verb: "If you arrive late, you forfeit your right to enter the competition." Here, it means losing the right because of being late.
• As a noun: "He paid a forfeit for losing the bet." Here, the forfeit is the penalty or something given up.
• In sports: "The team had to forfeit the game because they did not have enough players." This means they lost the game by default.

Synonym: "lose" can sometimes be used instead of "forfeit," but "forfeit" often implies losing because of a rule or failure, not just by chance or competition.

Substitution

Instead of "forfeit," you can say:

• "lose" (but less formal and less about rules)
• "give up" (if you voluntarily lose something)
• "surrender" (if you give up something, often in a formal or serious context) Changing the word can make the sentence less about punishment or rules and more about choice or chance.

Deconstruction

"Forfeit" comes from Old French "forfait," meaning "a failure or offense," from Latin "foris facere," meaning "to do outside" or "to fail." The word shows the idea of losing something because you did something wrong or failed to do something.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when someone might have to forfeit something important?
• How is forfeiting different from just losing by accident?
• Have you ever had to give up something because of a rule or agreement? What was it?