caveat

noun

ca·​ve·​at ˈka-vē-ˌät 

-ˌat,

ˈkä-vē-ˌät 

ˈkā-vē-ˌat

1

a

: a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices

a caveat against unfair practices

b

: an explanation to prevent misinterpretation

c

: a modifying or cautionary detail to be considered when evaluating, interpreting, or doing something

The driving instructor gave his students this caveat: if you are driving under the speed limit, stay in the far right lane.

2

: a legal warning to a judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition has a hearing

Did you know?

You may be familiar with the old saying caveat emptor, nowadays loosely translated as "let the buyer beware." In the 16th century, this adage was imparted as a safeguard for the seller: allow the buyer to examine the item (for example, a horse) before the sale is completed so that the seller can't be blamed if the item turns out to be unsatisfactory. Caveat in Latin means "let him beware" and comes from the verb cavēre, meaning "to be on guard." Perhaps you've also heard the phrase caveat lector; translated as "let the reader beware," it's a warning to take what one reads with a grain of salt. English retained caveat itself as a noun for something that serves to warn, explain, or caution. The word caution, by the way (no salt needed), is also a descendant of cavēre.

Examples of caveat in a Sentence

Sound great? There's just one caveat: Knowledge about how genes work is still in the scientific Stone Age. —Andrea Knox, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2000

We'll add a caveat of our own for parents: After your kids walk through 17,500 gal. of swirling water, they're not going to be satisfied running through the lawn sprinkler. —Jim Wilson, Popular Mechanics, July 1999

But the youthquake in the new economy comes with a caveat that also may begin applying to politics. If you're inexperienced and you want a big job, you'd better be smart as hell. —Jonathan Alter, Newsweek, 22 Nov. 1999

… a cluster bomb can destroy objects over a wider area, with the important caveat that it is effective only if the bomblets have sufficient destructive power on their own. —Norman Friedman, Desert Victory, 1991

His investment advice comes with a caveat: that the stock market is impossible to predict with absolute accuracy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Whatever ends up in his final speech text will be subject to the usual Trump caveat: what appears in the teleprompter isn’t always what the president says. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025

Terra Bikes The usual caveats for crowdfunding projects apply, but Terra Bikes claims the Terra Prime is currently in production and is slated to roll out for deliveries by August this year, with shipping to five countries worldwide listed as of now: USA, Canada Mexico, UK, and Japan. —New Atlas, 1 Mar. 2025

Scott Lincicome, a trade expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, thinks the analogy broadly applies — with one big caveat. —Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 27 Feb. 2025

However, two caveats prevent it from climbing into the category's upper echelon: an extremely limited free tier and a lack of 24/7 customer support across its four plans. —Robert Anderson, PCMAG, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, let him beware, from cavēre — more at hear

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing caveat

• caveat emptor

Rhymes for caveat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat
• guzerat

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Legal Definition

caveat

noun

ca·​ve·​at ˈka-vē-ˌät, -ˌat; ˈkä-vē-ˌät, ˈkā-vē-ˌat 

1

a

: a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices

b

: an explanation to prevent a misinterpretation

2

: a notice to a court or judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition can be heard

a caveat entered in the probate court to stop the proving of the will

caveat verb

Etymology

Latin, may he/she beware