waiver

play

noun waiv·er \ˈwā-vər\

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of waiver

1 : the act of intentionally relinquishing or abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege; also : the legal instrument evidencing such an act
2 : the act of a club's waiving the right to claim a professional ball player who is being removed from another club's roster —often used in the phrase on waivers denoting the process by which a player to be removed from a roster is made available to other clubs

See waiver defined for English-language learners

See waiver defined for kids

Examples of waiver in a Sentence

a criminal defendant's waiver of a jury trial
The college got a special waiver from the town to exceed the building height limit.
He signed an insurance waiver before surgery.

Recent Examples of waiver from the Web

Working with conservatives, MacArthur negotiated provisions that would let states seek waivers so that insurers could charge higher premiums for older Americans so that younger, presumably healthier, people could pay less.

— alan fram, The Seattle Times, "GOP senators in last-ditch try to rescue health care bill," 20 July 2017
Working with conservatives, MacArthur negotiated provisions that would let states seek waivers so that insurers could charge higher premiums for older Americans so that younger, presumably healthier, people could pay less.

— Washington Post, "House GOP defiant on health bill amid Senate uncertainty," 20 July 2017
In regular session at 6:30 p.m., the board will hold a hearing on a waiver as part of its transition to a by-district election system.

— laura groch, sandiegouniontribune.com, "On the agenda, July 16," 16 July 2017
The new McConnell plan provides $8 billion for the HCBS waivers combined from 2020 to 2023 and provides a $5 billion aggregate limit for public-health emergency expenditures from 2020 to 2024.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "Everything's Negotiable Except Cutting Medicaid," 13 July 2017
Maybe the Cubs hope Schwarber raises his value in the 2½ weeks before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

— steve rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "Trying to understand the latest Kyle Schwarber trade rumors," 12 July 2017
Nett, 38, who has cerebral palsy, benefits from a Medicaid waiver, and the proposed health care plan would reduce it, drastically affecting his care, his caretaker Sarah Mack said.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Citations issued during protest at Sen. Mitch McConnell's downtown Louisville office," 6 July 2017
Shaub also pushed for the administration to publicly reveal which aides were receiving ethics waivers and chastised House Republicans for not investing ethics inquiries further.

— lily herman, Teen Vogue, "Walter Shaub, Director of Office of Government Ethics, Just Resigned," 6 July 2017
Last April, the Padres claimed a reliever off waivers from the Marlins and saw him become a focal point of their bullpen.

— dennis lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Kirby Yates making most of opportunity with Padres," 4 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of waiver

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1628

See Words from the same year

Financial Definition of WAIVER

waiver

noun

What It Is

A waiver is a party's voluntary renunciation of rights in a contractual arrangement.

How It Works

When two parties enter into a contract, they often agree to forfeit some of their respective rights or claims. Either party may use a waiver -- expressed either in writing or through the performance of a specific deed -- to officially give up a privilege, right, or claim.

For example, one party might sign a waiver stating that he or she will not take legal action against the other party if there is some unintentional wrongdoing.

Why It Matters

It is important to remember that a party who signs a waiver is surrendering his or her right to pursue a course of action (file a lawsuit, receive compensation, etc). In most cases, a party will sign a waiver only if he or she receives a benefit in exchange for doing so.

Source: Investing Answers

WAIVER Defined for English Language Learners

waiver

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noun

Definition of waiver for English Language Learners

: the act of choosing not to use or require something that you are allowed to have or that is usually required
: an official document indicating that someone has given up or waived a right or requirement

Law Dictionary

waiver

play

noun waiv·er \ˈwā-vər\

Legal Definition of waiver

: the act of intentionally or knowingly relinquishing or abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege; also : the legal instrument evidencing such an act — compare estoppel, forfeiture

Additional Notes on waiver

Acts or statements made while forming or carrying out a contract may constitute a waiver and prevent a party from enforcing a contractual right (as when an insurer is barred from disclaiming liability because of facts known to it when it issued the insurance policy). Varying standards are applied by courts to determine if there has been a waiver of various constitutional rights (such as the right to counsel) in criminal cases.