waive

verb

\ ˈwāv

waived; waiving

Definition of waive

transitive verb

1a : 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 ¹wave ] : 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

Other Words from waive Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about waive

Keep scrolling for more

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

The Seahawks made a pair of roster moves Friday, one of which for now solves whatever kicking competition the team might have had, waiving kicker Sam Ficken and linebacker Emmanuel Beal. — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, "Seahawks waive kicker Sam Ficken, linebacker Emmanuel Beal," 12 Apr. 2019 The Blazers have since relied on Enes Kanter, who was waived by the New York Knicks following the trade deadline and signed by Portland for the rest of the season. — Anne M. Peterson, The Seattle Times, "Back as a 3 seed, Portland looks to avoid another early exit," 11 Apr. 2019 Star cornerback Richard Sherman, who tore his Achilles in the same game in which Chancellor got hurt, was waived in March and landed with the 49ers, while defensive end Michael Bennett was traded to the Eagles. — Des Bieler, chicagotribune.com, "'Risk of paralysis' has Seahawks' Kam Chancellor ready to call it quits on NFL career," 2 July 2018 By waiving it, a trial deadline is eliminated, giving lawyers on both sides an indefinite amount of time to prepare to take the case before a jury. — Tonya Alanez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz waives right to speedy trial," 27 Apr. 2018 The judge ruled that the Trump administration did not abuse its discretion in waiving environmental laws in its rush to begin border wall projects along the southwest border. — Greg Moran, sandiegouniontribune.com, "State attorney general, environmental group to appeal decision on Trump's border wall," 9 Apr. 2018 Walker also waived environmental regulations for Foxconn, allowing the company to withdraw around seven million gallons of water a day from nearby Lake Michigan. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Wisconsin Foxconn Manufacturing Plant May Not Happen After All," 30 Jan. 2019 MetLife’s board waived its age policy indefinitely in 2016 in a strong show of support for the executive at a critical juncture for the company. — Leslie Scism, WSJ, "MetLife CEO Steven Kandarian to Retire in April," 8 Jan. 2019 The Bulls then waived the guard following the trade. — Kristie Rieken, The Seattle Times, "Harden, Capela help Rockets over Nuggets 125-113," 7 Jan. 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about waive

Dictionary Entries near waive

Statistics for waive

Last Updated

13 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for waive

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for waive

waive

verb

English Language Learners Definition of waive

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

See the full definition for waive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

waive

verb

\ ˈwāv

waived; waiving

Kids Definition of waive

: to give up claim to

waive

transitive verb

\ ˈwāv

waived; waiving

Legal Definition of waive

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.