forgone opportunities

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "forgone opportunities" is not correct; the correct term is "forgone opportunities." You can use it when discussing chances or possibilities that have been missed or passed up.
Example: "Reflecting on my career, I often think about the forgone opportunities that could have changed my path."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

If forgone opportunities are included, we can characterize when a form of dynamic consistency is guaranteed.

Cornell University

Until then, Morgenthau's high profile deputies — the future Governor Eliot Spitzer, the future novelist Linda Fairstein — had all forgone opportunities to take on their former boss.

The New Yorker

Given the size of the companies surveyed, the value represented by those forgone opportunities should make managers and shareholders do more than pause.

Harvard Business Review

The unit cost of healthcare used in these calculations did accommodate the marginal and opportunity costs, 9 but did not adequately investigate these forgone opportunities.

BMJ Open

Welfare would require that participants' needs like meals and refreshments as they wait at the study site, compensation for time due to forgone opportunities and transport costs for study related activities are addressed by the concerned project.

BMC Medical Ethics

Such constraints include changing and limited budgets for designating areas for biodiversity conservation, economic costs connected with forgone opportunities, social costs, etc.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

To achieve excellence at what it does, a foundation must forgo opportunities in other approaches and in other fields.

Harvard Business Review

From "opting out" to "ratcheting back," the ways we talk about women's careers often emphasize their willingness to scale down or forgo opportunities, projects, and jobs.

Harvard Business Review

In providing child care for siblings and forgoing opportunities that require an engaged parent helping with homework or encouraging outside activities, teenage children in low-wage families are, Drs. Dodson and Albelda argue, "effectively subsidizing" their parents' employment as home health aides, janitors, food-service providers and retail clerks.

The New York Times

Perhaps most commonly, when we view a counterpart as a tough competitor, we are apt to dislike and distrust her (because she seems cold to us), thus forgoing opportunities to create and claim value and perhaps increasing the odds of impasse in negotiation conversations.

Harvard University

According to their model, our feelings affect behavior along a continuum between, on one end, something they term "generativeness" (that is, how likely you are to explore something that may end up having a good result, if doing so involves risk) and, on the other, "defensiveness" (when you are focussed on avoiding negative outcomes, forgoing opportunities in the process).

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing strategic decisions or analyzing past events, use "forgone opportunities" to highlight the potential benefits that were not realized due to specific choices. This adds depth to the analysis by considering what could have been.

Common error

Avoid using "forgone opportunities" interchangeably with "missed opportunities" without considering the context. "Forgone opportunities" often implies a conscious decision to sacrifice one option for another, while "missed opportunities" can suggest a lack of awareness or action. Understand that "forgone opportunities" are considered as a cost from a decision made in favour of another alternative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "forgone opportunities" primarily functions as a noun phrase. It often serves as the object of a verb or the complement of a preposition, indicating chances or possibilities that were not taken or realized. As Ludwig highlights, using "forgone opportunities" emphasizes the act of consciously giving up certain options.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "forgone opportunities" is a noun phrase used to describe potential benefits or chances that were not realized due to a specific decision or action. The term is considered grammatically correct and it emphasizes the act of consciously giving up certain options. As shown by Ludwig, the phrase is useful in analyzing decisions and trade-offs, especially in academic, news and science contexts. Related phrases include "missed chances" and "lost possibilities". When writing, ensure you're highlighting the consequences of decisions by pointing out the value that was not obtained.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

missed chances

Focuses on the aspect of chances that were not taken.

lost possibilities

Emphasizes the potential that was present but is now absent.

untapped potential

Highlights the resources or abilities that were never fully utilized.

unseized moments

Suggests specific moments in time that could have been capitalized on but weren't.

relinquished prospects

Indicates prospects that were given up or let go of, often deliberately.

sacrificed alternatives

Implies a conscious choice to give up certain options in favor of others.

passed up openings

Focuses on specific openings or opportunities that were available but not pursued.

neglected avenues

Suggests a lack of attention or care towards certain paths or options.

unexploited resources

Highlights resources that were available but not used to their full potential.

unpursued options

Emphasizes that certain choices or possibilities were not actively followed or investigated.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "forgone opportunities" in a sentence?

Use "forgone opportunities" to illustrate the potential value or benefits that were not realized because a different path was chosen. For example, "The company's decision to invest in project A meant "forgone opportunities" in project B, which had a higher potential return".

What are some alternatives to "forgone opportunities"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "missed chances", "lost possibilities", or "untapped potential" to convey a similar meaning.

Is there a difference between "forgone opportunities" and "lost opportunities"?

"Forgone opportunities" often suggests a deliberate choice to give up something, whereas "lost opportunities" implies that an opportunity was missed unintentionally or due to circumstances. The difference lies in the element of choice or awareness.

Can "forgone opportunities" be quantified?

Yes, in economic contexts, "forgone opportunities" can be quantified as opportunity costs. This involves calculating the potential benefits or value that were not gained because a different option was chosen. This is often used in business and financial analysis.