waiver

noun

waiv·er | \ ˈwā-vər

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

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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 on the Web

Protesters march toward Parliament in November in New Delhi demanding higher prices for agricultural produce and a government waiver on farm loans. — Krishna Pokharel, WSJ, "Indian Farmers Despair, Planting Seeds of Doubt About Modi’s Re-Election," 14 Jan. 2019 Residents also are eligible for a waiver of joining fees, which range from $24 for teenagers to $69 for adults and $99 for couples and families. — David Ibata, ajc, "Canton residents get discounted Y memberships," 3 July 2018 He was picked up off waivers by the Athletics, then cut. — Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, "Future tense? Tigers' Futures Game players haven't often panned out," 14 July 2018 Bullpen notes: Since being claimed off waivers from the Pirates on Friday, Romero has made three underwhelming appearances for the Royals. — Maria Torres, kansascity, "Unable to keep early lead vs. Twins, Royals drop another series," 11 July 2018 That deal guaranteed Logan $2.5 million, which the Brewers will owe him if no other club claims him off waivers. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers designate veteran reliever Boone Logan for assignment to activate Freddy Peralta," 19 June 2018 The Braves soon claimed him off waivers, nursed him through his elbow recovery and converted him to the bullpen. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, "A Rookie Treasures Lessons From Roy Halladay," 16 June 2018 Conlon was then designated for assignment and the Dodgers claimed him off waivers. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "Baseball Player Sends Out Perfect Tweet in Response to Team Moves," 6 June 2018 The Dodgers claimed Chargois off waivers from Minnesota in February. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Dodgers send struggling reliever J.T. Chargois to minors," 24 May 2018

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.

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Last Updated

22 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for waiver

The first known use of waiver was in 1628

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More Definitions for waiver

waiver

noun

Financial Definition of waiver

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

noun

English Language Learners Definition of waiver

: 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

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

waiver

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

Note: 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.