Forego vs. Forgo
Cambridge gives “forgo” as the verb meaning to do without and records “forego” as a variant, so a rigid claim that one spelling can never carry that meaning would overstate the evidence. “Foregoing” also has a distinct formal adjective use.
For the verb meaning “do without” or “give up,” “forgo” is the clearest spelling; Cambridge also records “forego” as a variant. “Foregoing” separately commonly means previously mentioned.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| give up or do without something | forgo | Use “forgo” as the clearest spelling for this verb. |
| same give-up sense where a source/style accepts variant spelling | forego | Cambridge records this as a variant. |
| previously mentioned or preceding | foregoing | Treat “foregoing” as the separate established word for what precedes. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Do you mean “give up” or “do without”?
If yes: Prefer “forgo”; recognize “forego” as a documented variant.
If no: If you mean “previously mentioned,” use “foregoing.”
Caveat: “Forego” is documented as a variant of “forgo,” while “foregoing” has a common separate preceding/previously-mentioned sense; do not collapse those facts into one spelling rule.
Examples
We decided to forgo dessert.
“Forgo” clearly expresses doing without something.
The contract uses “forego” for the same give-up sense.
The spelling is documented as a variant, so quoted or governed usage can be retained.
For the foregoing reasons, the proposal was revised.
“Foregoing” means preceding or previously mentioned.
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “forgo” as the least ambiguous spelling for “do without”; recognize “forego” as a recorded variant.
Usage Boundary
Do not confuse the variant verb spelling with the adjective “foregoing,” which commonly refers to something previously mentioned.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- FORGO — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Meaning and inflection of forgo, including forego as a recorded variant
- FOREGOING — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Separate adjective sense of foregoing meaning previously mentioned