caveat

[kav-ee-aht, -at, kah-vee-, key-]

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

/ 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

• caveated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of caveat¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of caveat¹

C16: from Latin, literally: let him beware

Example Sentences

Perhaps remembering the accuracy of his previous predictions, however, Dimon was quick to add an important caveat as to when such a correction might occur.

Read more on Barron's

There is a caveat to the narrative about long-term growth: heated competition.

Read more on Barron's

But here’s the caveat: This is a fluid situation and problems can easily spread to other airports, as officials have already warned.

Read more on MarketWatch

These are minor caveats given the power this thing packs.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Israel and Hamas have said they are on board, but each has expressed caveats or qualifiers that signal an agreement could be hard to reach.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• admonition