waive

play

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
4a : to relinquish (something, such as a legal right) voluntarily waive a jury trialb : 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
6 [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

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
Terry G. Williams, 55, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City after waiving his right to a grand jury.

— tony rizzo, kansascity, "Kansas City postal worker guilty of stealing mail with gift cards and Netflix DVDs," 22 June 2017
And for women living in states that waive the requirements, maternity coverage could become that much more expensive.

— claire landsbaum, The Cut, "Here’s How the Senate Health-Care Bill Will Impact Women’s Health," 22 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

play

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

play

verb \ˈwāv\

Definition of waive for Students

waived

;

waiving

: to give up claim to

Law Dictionary

waive

play

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