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

The change lets these entities partner with developers without needing special waivers from local government, though some officials and religious leaders have raised concerns about long-term impacts on congregations. —Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026

He was claimed off waivers in 2021 by the Dallas Cowboys, then moved around the league over the course of the next few years, with stints in Cincinnati, New England, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and then Dallas again. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026

While giants such as Walmart and Target may have the leverage to enforce strict liability waivers, smaller retailers might take the opposite approach, absorbing AI risk as a way to differentiate themselves and earn customer trust. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026

Last October, Virginia Tech petitioned the NCAA for a waiver on the basis that Warren missed two seasons (her redshirt season and the 2024–25 season) for reasons outside her control. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Apr. 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