Learn about the difference between the homophones: foregoing and forgoing

Definitions

foregoing

Foregoing is an adjective that refers to something previously mentioned or written.

Example

The foregoing discussion has shown that the problem is more complex than we thought.

Example

Please read the foregoing pages before starting the exercise.

forgoing

Forgoing is a verb that means to give up or do without something.

Example

I am forgoing dessert tonight.

Example

She decided to forgo her vacation to save money.

Tips To Remember the Differences

Here are a few tips to easily distinguish the difference between these words while keeping in mind the description we've provided:

- To remember the difference, think of foregoing as something that has already been mentioned or written, while forgoing is giving up something you want. - You can also associate foregoing with 'previously mentioned' and forgoing with 'giving up'.