Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.
For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!
The verb forbear (pronounced for-BĔR) means “to hold back.” The past tense is forebore.
This verb can be followed by a prepositional phrase starting with from, or by an infinitive phrase.
The noun forebear (pronounced FOR-bĕr) means “ancestor.” It is sometimes spelled forbear, without the e before the b.
© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2024
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
Writing tools – Writing Tips
A product of the Translation Bureau