caveat

noun ca·ve·at \ ˈka-vē-ˌät , -ˌat ; ˈkä-vē-ˌät ; ˈkā-vē-ˌat \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Examples: caveat in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of caveat

1 a : a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices

a caveat against unfair practices

b : an explanation to prevent misinterpretation

c : a modifying or cautionary detail to be considered when evaluating, interpreting, or doing something

The driving instructor gave his students this caveat: if you are driving under the speed limit, stay in the far right lane.

2 : a legal warning to a judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition has a hearing

See caveat defined for English-language learners

caveat was our Word of the Day on 09/16/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of caveat in a Sentence

Sound great? There's just one caveat: Knowledge about how genes work is still in the scientific Stone Age. —Andrea Knox, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2000
We'll add a caveat of our own for parents: After your kids walk through 17,500 gal. of swirling water, they're not going to be satisfied running through the lawn sprinkler. —Jim Wilson, Popular Mechanics, July 1999
But the youthquake in the new economy comes with a caveat that also may begin applying to politics. If you're inexperienced and you want a big job, you'd better be smart as hell. —Jonathan Alter, Newsweek, 22 Nov. 1999
… a cluster bomb can destroy objects over a wider area, with the important caveat that it is effective only if the bomblets have sufficient destructive power on their own. —Norman Friedman, Desert Victory, 1991
His investment advice comes with a caveat: that the stock market is impossible to predict with absolute accuracy.

Recent Examples of caveat from the Web

There are important caveats, these researchers noted, in terms of whether or not their findings can apply to panhandlers in America: For one thing, the selection is different.

— bryce covert, Longreads, "Pay the Homeless," 29 June 2018
There are caveats: a nest may be destroyed or its location unknown.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Found A Baby Bird? Here's What To Do," 17 June 2018
For our 2016 list (with the caveat that a couple of these places have closed), go here.

— robert philpot, star-telegram, "Backyard hangouts, roofs with a view and more: 12 new restaurant patios for 2018 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 17 May 2018
Removing the landmark status means the redesign could involve demolition of Anshei Sfard's existing synagogue building, education center and the mikvah, a bath used for Jewish rituals — but there are two important caveats.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Deal enables Jewish Community Center growth, survival of Orthodox congregation, leaders say," 28 Apr. 2018
Still, there are important caveats to both sets of data.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Trump officials claim they can avoid 2020 census problems caused by controversial citizenship question. Experts are very skeptical," 13 Apr. 2018
Crooks included Shelvey in his Premier League team of the week, but while signing the praises of the midfielder, Crooks added the caveat that Shelvey's physicality and temperament could hold him back.

— SI.com, "BBC Pundit Warns Newcastle Star's Temperament Could Hold Him Back From Reaching His Potential," 9 Apr. 2018
There are some caveats to the revelation of the big news, though.

— simon perry, PEOPLE.com, "It's a Sign! 'No Parking' Notices in Place at Kate Middleton's Hospital Mark Countdown to Baby," 9 Apr. 2018
While this year's California figures seem to support industry concerns about cannabis taxes and regulations, Shoenfield said there are some important caveats to the data.

— brad branan, sacbee, "California not meeting revenue projections for commercial cannabis, analyst says | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caveat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

You may be familiar with the old saying "caveat emptor," nowadays loosely translated as "let the buyer beware." In the 16th century, this adage was imparted as a safeguard for the seller: allow the buyer to examine the item (for example, a horse) before the sale is completed, so the seller can't be blamed if the item turns out to be unsatisfactory. "Caveat" in Latin means let him beware and comes from the verb "cavēre" ("to be on guard"). Perhaps you've also heard "caveat lector": "let the reader beware," a warning to take what one reads with a grain of salt. English retained "caveat" itself as a noun for something that serves to warn, explain, or caution. (The word caution is another descendant of "cavēre.")