waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər How to pronounce waiver (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The judge cited testimony that no such waiver system yet existed. Farai Mutsaka and Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Overall, more than half of the conditions would require waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio (who championed USAID as a senator and now, as the agency’s acting head, is its executioner) issued a waiver for lifesaving programs. George Packer, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025 Barclay Goodrow The Sharks brought back Goodrow on a waiver claim to provide leadership for a young team. Eric Stephens, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for waiver

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waiver was in 1628

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Cite this Entry

“Waiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiver. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

waiver

noun
waiv·​er ˈwā-vər How to pronounce waiver (audio)
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 How to pronounce waiver (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on waiver

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