waiver

noun

waiv·​er ˈwā-vər How to pronounce waiver (audio)
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

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 At the juvenile waiver hearing, prosecutors argued that Holland has a history of aggression and that the treatment programs recommended by juvenile services weren’t long enough to provide treatment for him. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The company was seeking a similar waiver for the Max 7, which was nearing final FAA certification prior to a door panel blowing out of an Alaska Airlines flight midair in January. Alex Sundby, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024 Riders must wear helmets and sign a waiver but do not need to register in advance. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 The parties are now waiting for French financial regulators to say if the consortium can unilaterally waive the independent expert’s report and whether WMG’s preliminary proposal prevents the waiver of the board’s condition. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 The father was the last witness to speak in the second day of a reverse waiver hearing — an effort by the defense to move the boy’s case from adult court to children’s court. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 Cooper's decision, however, noted that the Legislature modified Proposition 203 to allow parents of English learners to seek waivers from structured English immersion instruction. Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Rooker, also once a highly touted prospect, was claimed off waivers before last season and ended up being the A’s All-Star representative. Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 JetBlue advised passengers to check the company website for info on fee waivers and upcoming flights status. Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waiver.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waiver was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near waiver

Cite this Entry

“Waiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiver. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waiver

noun
waiv·​er ˈwā-vər How to pronounce waiver (audio)
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 How to pronounce waiver (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on waiver

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