waive

verb \ ˈwāv \

Definition of waive

waived; waiving

transitive verb

1 archaic :give up, forsake

2 :to throw away (stolen goods)

3 archaic :to shunt aside (a danger or duty) :evade

4 a :to relinquish (something, such as a legal right) voluntarily

waive a jury trial

b :to refrain from pressing or enforcing (something, such as a claim or rule) :forgo

waive the fee

5 :to put off from immediate consideration :postpone

[influenced by ¹wave]

:to dismiss with or as if with a wave of the hand

waived the problem aside

7 :to place (a ball player) on waivers; also :to release after placing on waivers

See waive defined for English-language learners

See waive defined for kids

Examples of waive in a Sentence

She waived her right to a lawyer.
The university waives the application fee for low-income students.

Recent Examples of waive from the Web

If any are still in the country, they could be expelled if Turkey refuses to waive diplomatic immunity.

— ashraf khalil, chicagotribune.com, "19 indicted, including 15 Turkish security officials, for attacking protesters during Erdogan visit to U.S.," 29 Aug. 2017
Baltimore waived Bynes on Sept. 2, 2014, but re-signed him for its practice squad two days later.

— mark inabinett, AL.com, "Linebacker Josh Bynes returns to NFL," 5 Aug. 2017
A promise to waive farmers’ debts helped the BJP to an electoral victory in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, in March.

— The Economist, "The elephant in its labyrinthIn the race with its tricky neighbour, India has recently been winning," 22 July 2017
Lash convinced his doctor to waive his chemotherapy treatment this month for Comic-Con and intends to be at the booth every day.

— diane bell, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Laughter is the best medicine for cartoonist Batton Lash," 17 July 2017
States would also still retain the ability to waive certain essential benefits from otherwise qualifying plans.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "Everything's Negotiable Except Cutting Medicaid," 13 July 2017
Even Wells Fargo banned customers from filing class-action lawsuits against it during the height of its sales practices problems, until pressure from politicians and outside groups led the bank to waive that right earlier this year.

— ken sweet, The Seattle Times, "Federal regulator moves to mostly ban arbitration clauses," 10 July 2017
Typically, the company’s agreement with the rental car agency stipulates no young driver fee, so it’ll be waived.

— matt meltzer, Teen Vogue, "How to Rent a Car When You're Under 25," 6 July 2017
In the past few years, more life insurers have been waiving requirements for blood and urine samples when selling life insurance.

— leslie scism, WSJ, "New York Regulator Seeks Details From Life Insurers Using Algorithms to Issue Policies," 29 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of waive

Middle English weiven to decline, reject, give up, from Anglo-French waiver, gaiver, from waif lost, stray — more at waif

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of waive

relinquish, yield, resign, surrender, abandon, waive mean to give up completely. relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

- relinquished her crown

yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

- the troops yielded ground grudgingly

resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

- resigned her position

surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

- surrendered their claims

abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

- abandoned all hope

waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

- waived the right to a trial by jury

WAIVE Defined for English Language Learners

waive

verb

Definition of waive for English Language Learners

: to officially say that you will not use or require something that you are allowed to have or that is usually required

WAIVE Defined for Kids

waive

verb \ ˈwāv \

Definition of waive for Students

waived; waiving

:to give up claim to

Law Dictionary

waive

transitive verb \ ˈwāv \

legal Definition of waive

waived; waiving

1 :to relinquish (as a right or privilege) voluntarily and intentionally

the defendant waived a felony hearing on the charge
—National Law Journal

— compare forfeit, reserve

2 :to refrain from enforcing or requiring

some statutes waive the age requirement
—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

—

waivable

adjective

Origin and Etymology of waive

Anglo-French waiver weiver, literally to abandon, forsake, from waif weif forlorn, stray, probably from Old Norse veif something loose or flapping