Below are the formal and polite equivalents (synonyms) of 'forget' or 'not remember' which you can use in your business or professional pieces of writing.

These synonyms should only be used when referring to a task or action that you didn't do and should have done, rather than when you are unable to remember a past event.

Fail Click to listen

Using 'fail' instead of 'forget' will make you (or your business/organisation) sound a little less incompetent when talking about the thing you didn't do.

'We failed to check if the software was working before the presentation started.'

'He failed to inform them about the change to the time of the meeting.'

Neglect Click to listen

This is basically a more formal way of saying 'fail'. And like 'fail', it will make you (or your business/organisation) sound a little less incompetent when talking about the thing you 'forgot' to do. That being said, I personally would use 'fail' instead of 'neglect'.

'We neglected to check if the software was working before the presentation started.'

'He neglected to inform them about the change to the time of the meeting.'


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