caveat

American  

[kav-ee-aht, -at, kah-vee-, key-] / ˈkæv iˌɑt, -ˌæt, ˈkɑ vi-, keɪ- /

noun

1. a warning or caution.

   Before proceeding with the investment, he was given a caveat about potential risks and volatility in the stock market.

2. Law. a legal notice to a court or public officer to suspend a certain proceeding until the notifier is given a hearing.

   a caveat filed against the probate of a will.

---

verb (used with or without object)

1. to give a warning or caution (about information being presented).

   The authors of the paper caveated their findings with a reminder that further research would be necessary.

   Rather than hedging and caveating, I'll just say what I think.

caveat British  

/ ˈkeɪvɪˌæt, ˈkæv- /

noun

1. law a formal notice requesting the court or officer to refrain from taking some specified action without giving prior notice to the person lodging the caveat

2. a warning; caution

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• caveated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of caveat

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin: “let him beware,” 3rd-person singular present subjunctive of cavēre “to take care”; see caution

Explanation

A caveat is a warning. When someone adds a caveat to something they’re telling you to beware — maybe what they’re telling you comes with certain conditions or maybe there’s something dangerous lurking. When your new friend gives you directions to her house, and then says, “The caveat is that when it snows the driveway turns into an ice rink,” she's warning you that your travels could be dangerous. Caveat is also a legal term for when a lawyer asks for a break in proceedings. If a lawyer issues a caveat, she's filing a formal notice to suspend a trial until her client gets a hearing.

Example Sentences

The one caveat though, Treyz says, is the war in Iran, with the U.S. potentially using tariffs against countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Canada if they don’t assist the U.S.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The caveat is if you delay claiming Medicare and Social Security benefits and are still working, you may be able to continue contributing until you must enroll.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

There is an obvious caveat to Sinner’s numbers.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

“Sing for your supper and you’ll get breakfast, songbirds always eat,” the lyrics go, before offering a crucial caveat: “If their song is sweet to hear.”

From Salon • May 15, 2026

Clara had finally relented and let Molly get social media a couple of years ago, with the caveat that it was exclusively professional accounts for the theater.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• admonition