The difference between Forfeit and Surrender

When used as nouns, forfeit means a penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor, whereas surrender means an act of surrendering, submission into the possession of another.

When used as verbs, forfeit means to suffer the loss of something by wrongdoing or non-compliance, whereas surrender means to give up into the power, control, or possession of another.


Forfeit is also adjective with the meaning: lost or alienated for an offense or crime.

check bellow for the other definitions of Forfeit and Surrender

  1. Forfeit as a noun:

    A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.

    Examples:

    "That he our deadly forfeit should release'' (John Milton, ''On the Morning of Christ's Nativity'', 1629)"

  2. Forfeit as a noun:

    A thing forfeited; that which is taken from somebody in requital of a misdeed committed; that which is lost, or the right to which is alienated, by a crime, breach of contract, etc.

    Examples:

    "He who murders pays the forfeit of his own life."

  3. Forfeit as a noun:

    Something deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine as part of a game.

  4. Forfeit as a noun (obsolete, rare):

    Injury; wrong; mischief.

  1. Forfeit as a verb:

    To suffer the loss of something by wrongdoing or non-compliance

    Examples:

    "He forfeited his last chance of an early release from jail by repeatedly attacking another inmate."

  2. Forfeit as a verb:

    To lose a contest, game, match, or other form of competition by voluntary withdrawal, by failing to attend or participate, or by violation of the rules

    Examples:

    "Because only nine players were present, the football team was forced to forfeit the game."

  3. Forfeit as a verb:

    To be guilty of a misdeed; to be criminal; to transgress.

  4. Forfeit as a verb:

    To fail to keep an obligation.

  1. Forfeit as an adjective:

    Lost or alienated for an offense or crime; liable to penal seizure.

  1. Surrender as a verb (transitive):

    To give up into the power, control, or possession of another.

  2. Surrender as a verb (military, by extension, transitive):

    To yield (a town, a fortification, etc.) to an enemy.

  3. Surrender as a verb (intransitive, or, reflexive):

    To give oneself up into the power of another, especially as a prisoner; to submit or give in.

    Examples:

    "I surrender!"

  4. Surrender as a verb (transitive):

    To give up possession of; to yield; to resign.

    Examples:

    "to surrender a right, privilege, or advantage"

  5. Surrender as a verb (reflexive):

    To yield (oneself) to an influence, emotion, passion, etc.

    Examples:

    "to surrender oneself to grief, to despair, to indolence, or to sleep"

  6. Surrender as a verb (ambitransitive, blackjack):

    To abandon (one's hand of cards) and recover half of the initial bet.

  7. Surrender as a verb (transitive, insurance):

    For a policyholder, to voluntarily terminate an insurance contract before the end of its term, usually with the expectation of receiving a surrender value.

  1. Surrender as a noun:

    An act of surrendering, submission into the possession of another; abandonment, resignation.

  2. Surrender as a noun:

    The yielding or delivery of a possession in response to a demand.

  3. Surrender as a noun (legal, property law):

    The yielding of the leasehold estate by the lessee to the landlord, so that the tenancy for years merges in the reversion and no longer exists.