waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər 

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

Synonyms

• disclaimer
• quitclaim
• release

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

Questions about anti-icing equipment on the Max engines would have required Boeing to get a waiver from the FAA to get the Max 10 and a smaller Max 7 model certified. —Chris Isidore, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

Statements of non-assessment, also called waivers, are obtainable via email from the assessment department. —Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2024

The new fee rule also ensures waivers for low-income and vulnerable populations, and expands exemptions for certain humanitarian benefits. —Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

The justices disagreed after Republican attorneys general and others challenged the debt waiver plan. —Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024

In addition, guests are required to sign a waiver before boarding and are issued a thorough explanation of standard safety precautions and regulations, Duncan said. —Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024

At one point, the first woman to run a major Wall Street bank asked her top executives to sign waivers to go skydiving as part of a prank. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

That waiver is supposed to be ruled on within three business days. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Becker said minors need to first find out about the process for obtaining a court waiver, connect with an attorney, and arrange time off school to appear in court. —Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər 

1

: the act of intentionally giving up a right, claim, or privilege

2

: a document containing a declaration of a waiver

Legal Definition

waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər 

: 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.

Etymology

Anglo-French, from waiver to waive