waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər 

1

: the act of intentionally relinquishing or abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege

also : the legal instrument evidencing such an act

2

: the act of a club's waiving the right to claim a professional ball player who is being removed from another club's roster

—often used in the phrase on waivers denoting the process by which a player to be removed from a roster is made available to other clubs

Synonyms

• disclaimer
• quitclaim
• release

Examples of waiver in a Sentence

a criminal defendant's waiver of a jury trial

The college got a special waiver from the town to exceed the building height limit.

He signed an insurance waiver before surgery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sleepers aren’t always obscure backups available to be picked up off the waiver wire, though, either. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024

Advertisement The California waiver has a long history in environmental law. —David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

But the agency revoked the waiver as to the zero-emissions and greenhouse gas requirements during the Trump administration in 2019. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024

Valero's Diamond Alternative Energy and related groups challenged the reinstatement of California's waiver, arguing that the decision exceeded the EPA's power under the Clean Air Act and inflicted harm on their bottom line by lowering demand for liquid fuels. —Andrew Chung, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər 

1

: the act of intentionally giving up a right, claim, or privilege

2

: a document containing a declaration of a waiver

Legal Definition

waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər 

: the act of intentionally or knowingly relinquishing or abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege

also : the legal instrument evidencing such an act compare estoppel, forfeiture

Note: Acts or statements made while forming or carrying out a contract may constitute a waiver and prevent a party from enforcing a contractual right (as when an insurer is barred from disclaiming liability because of facts known to it when it issued the insurance policy). Varying standards are applied by courts to determine if there has been a waiver of various constitutional rights (such as the right to counsel) in criminal cases.

Etymology

Anglo-French, from waiver to waive