Idiom
Foregone conclusion
A foregone conclusion is a result that seems certain before it actually happens.
How people use it
People use it for outcomes everyone expects (with their best player injured, the loss felt like a foregone conclusion). It often follows seem, look or is not (her promotion is not a foregone conclusion). It is neutral to formal and common in news and sports writing. The usual spelling is foregone, from forego, meaning to go before. The spelling forgone conclusion also appears, but foregone is far more common.
Examples
- Many fans treated the final as a foregone conclusion, but the underdogs won in overtime.
- With such strong grades, Priya's acceptance to the program was almost a foregone conclusion.
- Don't treat the sale as a foregone conclusion until the buyer signs.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from Shakespeare's Othello (about 1603). Othello says, 'But this denoted a foregone conclusion,' meaning something that had already happened before, a previous act. Over time, the sense shifted from an event that went before to a result decided in advance, which is how it is used today.
Check yourself
1. What is a foregone conclusion?
Answer: A result that seems certain in advance. A foregone conclusion is an outcome treated as certain before it happens.
2. Which Shakespeare play is the source of the phrase?
Answer: Othello. In Othello, the main character says this denoted a foregone conclusion, though the meaning has since shifted.
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