“For-” and “fore-” in four paragraphs

Add comment May 19th, 2008

The prefix “fore-” means “before in time, place, order or rank,” as in “forenoon” or “foreman.” It also can mean “the front part of,” as in “forehead.”

Remembering this should help avoid the common confusion between “forego” and “forgo.” The former, meaning “precede,” is rarely encountered except in uses such as “foregone conclusion” or “the foregoing statistics.” Note the sense of “before.”

The verb “forgo,” meaning “to do without; abstain from; give up,” is much more common — and commonly misspelled. There is no “e” in it.

A similar pair: the verb “forbear” (”to refrain from; avoid or cease”) and the noun “forebear” (”ancestor”). Some people want to make the latter “forebearer.” Most of us should consider that incorrect.