foregoing

foregoing — adjective

IPA/ˈfɔːɡəʊɪŋ/
KK[fɔrɡˈoɪŋ]IPA/ˈfɔːrɡəʊɪŋ/
  • foregoingpositive
  • more foregoingcomparative
  • most foregoingsuperlative

1. used to point back to information or events that were introduced earlier in the

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

used to point back to information or events that were introduced earlier in the same text or speech

Example

The foregoing analysis showed that mercury levels in Manila Bay had dropped sharply.

attributive: the foregoing + N for formal cross-reference

Professor Bhatia's foregoing lecture covered the key causes of the French Revolution.

Common collocations
  • foregoing discussion
  • foregoing analysis
  • foregoing paragraph
  • foregoing argument
  • foregoing section
Synonyms
  • aforementioned

    even more formal than 'foregoing'; used almost exclusively in legal and official documents

  • preceding

    slightly less formal; can refer to things that come before in time or order, not just in a text

  • above

    common in business writing ('the above address'); more informal and spatial in feel

Antonyms
  • following

    refers to what comes next in the text rather than what came before

  • subsequent

    refers to events or sections that come after

Grammar Patterns

the foregoing + N

Usage Note

Attributive only — this word must come directly before a noun (e.g. 'the foregoing discussion'). It is rarely used in everyday speech; expect to encounter it mainly in academic papers, legal documents, and formal reports.

Common Mistakes

I am foregoing my lunch break today.
I am forgoing my lunch break today.
'foregoing' (with an 'e') means previously mentioned; 'forgoing' (no 'e' after 'for') means giving something up.
As I said foregoing, we need more time.
As I said earlier, we need more time.
'foregoing' is very formal and used in writing; it sounds unnatural in casual spoken English.

foregoing — noun

IPA/ˈfɔː.ɡəʊ.ɪŋ/
KK[fɔrɡˈoɪŋ]IPA/ˈfɔːr.ɡoʊ.ɪŋ/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all point backward in a text, but they differ in register and scope. 'Foregoing' and 'aforementioned' are both formal; 'aforementioned' is the more stiffly legal of the two and appears almost exclusively in contracts and statutes. 'Preceding' is the most neutral — you can use it in ordinary writing ('the preceding paragraph') without sounding pompous, and it also works for time order outside of texts ('the preceding week'). 'Above' is common in business correspondence ('the above address') but feels informal in academic prose. 'Prior' has the broadest reach: it covers time ('prior experience'), not just textual order, and overlaps with 'foregoing' only in formal documents ('prior representations' in a contract). A useful rule of thumb: use 'preceding' for everyday backward reference, 'foregoing' for formal reports, 'aforementioned' for legal documents, and 'above' for business letters.

aforementioned ↗preceding ↗above ↗prior ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • notwithstanding the foregoing
  • in light of the foregoing

Prepositions

  • in the foregoing
  • from the foregoing

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English 'foregān', meaning 'to go before', formed from 'fore-' (before) and 'gān' (to go). The modern sense of 'previously mentioned' emerged from the idea of something that 'goes before' in a written text. The spelling with an 'e' (foregoing, not forgoing) preserves the root 'fore' (before), which distinguishes it from 'forgo' (to give up), a different word altogether.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above