caveat

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

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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

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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

In crafting a bill with enough votes to pass the Senate last month, lawmakers landed on a compromise filled with caveats and exclusions.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump's base is all about his tariffs on imports," 16 Apr. 2018
In crafting a bill with enough votes to pass the Senate last month, lawmakers landed on a compromise filled with caveats and exclusions.

— christina rexrode, WSJ, "Why the Dodd-Frank Rollback Has Some Small Banks Yawning," 15 Apr. 2018
The experience is too unstable, support isn't robust enough, there are too many caveats and limitations, and Boot Camp support will be necessary for eGPUs to be attractive to many consumers.

— samuel axon, Ars Technica, "Are external GPUs for Macs viable in macOS 10.13.4? We tested to find out," 14 Apr. 2018
Finally, a caveat: The one place ankle socks do work is the place they were intended to be worn—the gym.

— jake woolf, GQ, "Ankle Socks Will Ruin Even Your Best Outfit," 13 Apr. 2018
And the requisite caveat: Amazon asking customers about something does not equal Amazon doing something.

— peter kafka, Recode, "Amazon asked its customers what they think about TV news. Here’s the survey.," 26 Mar. 2018
But detailed below are important exceptions and caveats.

— michael knezovich, Philly.com, "Should you pay extra to insure your rental car?," 4 Mar. 2018
There's a major caveat, of course: Deeply conservative Alabama historically frowns upon anything remotely resembling gambling.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Daily fantasy sports resurfaces in Alabama: Model legislation, or political firecracker?," 27 Feb. 2018
And so the pursuit of that elusive goal continues, even as the format and caveats change once again.

— brian straus, SI.com, "CONCACAF Champions League is Different, but Will MLS's Fortunes Change at All?," 20 Feb. 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.")