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

Murphy was quickly claimed off waivers by the Giants on March 25 but was designated again three days later. — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, "Mariners acquire backup catcher Tom Murphy in trade with Giants, option David Freitas to Tacoma," 29 Mar. 2019 Jace Peterson, claimed off waivers last month from the New York Yankees, has played regularly at third and in the outfield after previous utility options flopped. — Eduardo A. Encina, baltimoresun.com, "Lack of late-inning options puts Orioles' roster problems into focus," 30 May 2018 Take advantage of any waivers because of storms, such as the one in Chicago this weekend. — Scott Mccartney, WSJ, "What Fliers Should Keep in Mind as the Shutdown Pauses," 25 Jan. 2019 One condition of these waivers is budget neutrality. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "We have a new worst-case scenario for Obamacare," 3 Dec. 2018 The recruiting struggles come at the end of a tumultuous year for the Army, which faced questions from Congress over its expanded use of waivers for recruits with previous marijuana use, bad conduct and some health problems. — Fox News, "Army misses 2018 recruiting goal," 24 Sep. 2018 Turner had 91 yards on five receptions in the preseason for Seattle before being waived while Seattle claimed Thomas off of waivers from Cleveland after the preseason. — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, "Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin likely out against Chicago, Seattle adds Keenan Reynolds as insurance," 11 Sep. 2018 Texas acquired him off of waivers from the Blue Jays on Friday and optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. — Stefan Stevenson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: Move over Astros, league's current best win streak resides up north," 19 June 2018 Most of the waivers the FAA has granted so far, Stewart said, have been from the night-flying limits. — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "GE launches aerial drone venture out of Boston," 7 June 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

16 Apr 2019

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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.