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

• exemption
• 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

The makeup of the bottom of the defensive line group could depend on Hall’s availability and any potential waiver claims Cleveland might make next week. —Zac Jackson, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

Other than the new Franklin Park executive director, the city has requested no other residency waivers this year, a Wu spokesperson said Friday. —Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025

Applicants need to have graduated from a Connecticut college or university, or attended an accredited program to earn a professional license or certificate; a hardship waiver for degree non-completion could be requested in certain cases. —Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025

New left fielder Isaac Collins, claimed off waivers from Colorado in 2022, has become a candidate for NL Rookie of Year with eight homers, 40 RBIS and an .853 OPS. —Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French weyver, from waiver, verb

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for waiver

• aver
• braver
• craver
• favor
• favour
• flavor
• flavour
• graver
• paver
• quaver
• raver
• saver

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