waive

verb

waived; waiving

transitive verb

1
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
2
: to put off from immediate consideration : postpone
3
[influenced by wave entry 1] : to dismiss with or as if with a wave of the hand
waived the problem aside
4
: to place (a ball player) on waivers
also : to release after placing on waivers
5
: to throw away (stolen goods)
6
archaic : give up, forsake
7
archaic : to shunt aside (a danger or duty) : evade
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web If no other payment relief option exists to address the hardship, the Secretary could waive the loan. Brett Rowland | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 27 Oct. 2024 Gray also waived his formal arraignment, according to court documents filed by his defense attorney Alfonso Kraft Jr. Gray is accused of fatally shooting two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and two math teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, on September 4. Devon M. Sayers, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 DeSantis waived this deadline to authorize county officials to designate new ones. Michael T. Morley, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 The other side: To balance the scales, the university invited conservative personality Sean Hannity, who waived his $100,000 speaking fee but asked the school to cover his private jet. Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for waive 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Time Traveler
The first known use of waive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near waive

Cite this Entry

“Waive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waive. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

waive

verb
waived; waiving
1
: to give up claim to
waived her right to answer
2
: to let pass
waive the fee
3
: to dismiss with or as if with a wave of the hand
waived the problem aside

Legal Definition

waive

transitive verb
waived; waiving
1
: to relinquish (as a right or privilege) voluntarily and intentionally
the defendant waived a felony hearing on the chargeNational Law Journal
compare forfeit, reserve
2
: to refrain from enforcing or requiring
some statutes waive the age requirementW. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
waivable adjective
Etymology

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

More from Merriam-Webster on waive

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