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 of waiver

• exemption
• 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

Matsuguma needed a special injury waiver to compete in the state series after suffering a broken orbital bone and a concussion in the high school district final against Highlands Christian that sidelined him for eight weeks. —Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2026

The proposal is an attempt by the NCAA to re-standardize eligibility and prevent the constant lawsuits by individual athletes for waivers and exceptions that the organization has faced in recent years. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026

And the relatively minor acquisition could be something as basic as the recent claims of Austin Slater and Andy Ibáñez off waivers, or something else that Stearns does in the coming weeks to augment the lineup, perhaps on the infield with the injuries to Lindor, Mauricio and Polanco. —Tim Britton, New York Times, 4 May 2026

The city should cut rebuilding red tape with permit amnesty, fee waivers and a dedicated case manager to fast-track rebuilding. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for waiver

• aver
• braver
• craver
• favor
• favour
• flavor
• flavour
• graver
• paver
• quaver
• raver
• saver

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