caveat emptor
[ kav-ee-aht emp-tawr, -at, kah-vee-, key-; Latin kah-we-aht emp-tohr ]
/ ˈkæv iˌɑt ˈɛmp tɔr, -ˌæt, ˈkɑ vi-, keɪ-; Latin ˈkɑ wɛˌɑt ˈɛmp toʊr /
noun
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.
Nearby words
cave in, cave man, cave tubing, cave-in, caveat, caveat emptor, caveator, cavefish, cavel, cavell, cavell, edith
Origin of caveat emptor
Borrowed into English from Latin around 1515–25
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for caveat emptor
caveat emptor
/ (ˈɛmptɔː) /
noun
the principle that the buyer must bear the risk for the quality of goods purchased unless they are covered by the seller's warranty
Word Origin for caveat emptor
Latin: let the buyer beware
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Culture definitions for caveat emptor
Caveat emptor
[ (kav-ee-aht, kah-vee-aht emp-tawr) ]
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.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.