forfeitable

Forfeitable is an adjective meaning capable of being forfeited. To forfeit means to lose or surrender something as a penalty or consequence of a breach, violation, or noncompliance. When an asset, right, or privilege is described as forfeitable, it is not presently lost but subject to loss upon the occurrence of a specified triggering event.

In property and contract law, many interests are described as forfeitable. For example, a grant of land may be created subject to a condition that, if not fulfilled, leads to forfeiture of the grant. A lease may contain a forfeiture clause that allows the landlord to terminate the tenancy and recover possession if the tenant defaults. A trust or will may include provisions where a beneficiary's interest becomes forfeitable for certain conduct or failures to satisfy conditions. Insurance or licensing arrangements may render a benefit forfeitable if the insured or licensee commits fraud or violation.

In practice, forfeitable rights require a triggering event and due process; actual loss occurs only through a separate act of forfeiture or enforcement. The term is often used in legal drafting to describe conditions that could cause loss, rather than to assert that loss has already occurred. The concept contrasts with non-forfeitable rights, which cannot be lost under the stated conditions.