Meaning & use
foregone
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Already decided or known in advance, so the result is not in doubt.
Grammar: Used before a noun, almost always in the phrase 'foregone conclusion'. Rarely used alone.
Patterns
- a foregone conclusion
With so many supporters, his victory was a foregone conclusion.
It was a foregone conclusion that the team would win the championship.
The committee's decision was a foregone conclusion from the start.
Common combinations
- a foregone conclusion
- Everyone thought the election result was a foregone conclusion.
- almost a foregone conclusion
- After the first goal, it was almost a foregone conclusion.
- seem a foregone conclusion
- The deal seems a foregone conclusion now.
Synonyms and how they differ
- predictable
- Predictable means able to be expected; foregone is stronger and suggests the outcome is already settled.
- inevitable
- Inevitable means certain to happen; foregone is used mainly in the phrase 'foregone conclusion'.
Opposites
Word family
- forego verb
- To decide not to do or have something; also, to go before (rare).
Commonly confused: foregone or forgone?
foregone vs forgone
Forgo means to give something up, so 'forgone' means given up. Foregone means decided in advance. They sound the same but differ in meaning.
Practice
Complete the sentence: After the star player was injured, defeat seemed a ______ conclusion.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'a foregone conclusion', meaning a result that is already certain. 'Forgone' means given up, 'foregoing' means preceding, and 'forgoing' means giving up, so none fit the phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “foregone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.