caveat

American  

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

noun

caveats plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• caveated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• caveats
  plural

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

See Examples For:

caveat caveats

The U.S. got the United Arab Emirates to agree to forgo making nuclear fuel with the caveat that if Washington afforded any neighbor more-generous terms, the U.A.E. could renegotiate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Any GDP gain above 2% is considered above average, but there is a caveat, as usual.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Hegseth insists his testosterone push is “not about artificial enhancement,” but the disclaimer is an empty caveat.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

We now have it with a spectacular new sound system along with the old caveat: Beware of what you wish for.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

The caveat is that such work has to exist, and in the current economy, it doesn’t.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Comparing his two visits to Yosemite, Shields said he preferred not having to deal with the reservation system, but that came with some caveats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

There are caveats to Ruggles’s scenario: notably that if there were a sharp rebound in immigration, the supply of workers might not be so diminished.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

The academic record points in the same direction, with caveats.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

Many of the executives couched their enthusiasm with caveats.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

The table greatly simplifies a complex mass of historical facts: see the text for some of the many important caveats.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• admonition