foregone conclusion

foregone conclusion (plural foregone conclusions)

1. A predictable or inevitable conclusion, or one made without enough consideration and evidence.
   • 2024 October 5, Jessica Grose, “‘Nobody Wants This’ Pits Jewish Women Against ‘Shiksas.’ Nobody Wins.”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     In the first episode, Noah breaks up with Rebecca because she snooped around and found an engagement ring he had hidden and she started wearing it without giving him a chance to propose, taking their marriage as a foregone conclusion.

     (Can we archive this URL?)

   • 2025, Karen Hao, Empire of AI, New York City: Penguin Press, →ISBN:

     […] [Sam] Altman had made each of OpenAI’s decisions about the Microsoft deal and GPT-3’s deployment a foregone conclusion, but he had maneuvered and manipulated dissenters into believing they had a real say until it was too late to change course.

• open-and-shut
• fait accompli

• “foregone conclusion”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “foregone conclusion”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “foregone conclusion” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.