; forsworn
fȯr-ˈswȯrn
; forswearing
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Forswear (which is also sometimes spelled foreswear) is the modern English equivalent of Old English forswerian. It can suggest denial ("[Thou] would'st forswear thy own hand and seal" — John Arbuthnot, John Bull) or perjury ("Is it the interest of any man … to lie, forswear himself, indulge hatred, seek desperate revenge, or do murder?" — Charles Dickens, American Notes). But in current use, it most often has to do with giving something up, as in "The feuding parties agreed to forswear violence" and "She refused to forswear her principles."
Synonyms
Examples of forswear in a Sentence
Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
In Hong Kong, Bonnie Chan, the first woman CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), which runs the financial hub’s bourse, is leading a high-profile campaign to persuade the 2,600 companies traded on the exchange to forswear single-gender boards.
—Beth Greenfield, Fortune Asia, 7 Oct. 2024
Neither Jewish nor American history (nor any other) indefinitely forswears violence regardless of provocation.
—Steve Koppman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024
In a conflict, our adversaries aren’t going to forswear using all possible means to disrupt our military operations — indeed, the workings of our society itself — because of a principled opposition to waging war above Earth’s atmosphere.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for forswear 
Dictionary Entries Near forswear
Cite this Entry
“Forswear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forswear. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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forswear
verb
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forswear
verb
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