caveat emptor

[kav-ee-aht emp-tawr, -at, kah-vee-, key-, kah-we-aht emp-tohr]

noun

1. let the buyer beware: the principle that the seller of a product cannot be held responsible for its quality unless it is guaranteed in a warranty.

caveat emptor

/ ˈɛmptɔː /

noun

1. the principle that the buyer must bear the risk for the quality of goods purchased unless they are covered by the seller's warranty

Caveat emptor

1. Latin for “Let the buyer beware.” It means that a customer should be cautious and alert to the possibility of being cheated: “Caveat emptor is the first rule of buying a used car.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Caveat emptor¹

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1515–25

Word History and Origins

Origin of Caveat emptor¹

Latin: let the buyer beware