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

Travelers who are denied entry to the U.S. have limited legal recourse, but may be able to reapply for a visa or seek an ineligibility waiver. —Eve Chen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025

Alternately, Primack proposes that Chisholm ask for a one-time waiver from the NBA, gambling that the record sticker tag of the sale (which does not even include a stake in the Celtics' home arena, TD Garden) would probably dissuade the league's other owners from turning down such an agreement. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

Accepting a trade to Anaheim allowed Trouba to have some control over his destination, as opposed to being put on waivers and being exposed to 31 teams. —Eric Stephens, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Chisholm could request a waiver from the league given the magnitude of the purchase. —Hunter Felt, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 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