caveat emptor

American  

[kav-ee-aht emp-tawr, -at, kah-vee-, key-, kah-we-aht emp-tohr] / ˈkæv iˌɑt ˈɛmp tɔr, -ˌæt, ˈkɑ vi-, keɪ-, ˈkɑ wɛˌɑt ˈɛmp toʊr /

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.

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caveat emptor British  

/ 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

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Caveat emptor Cultural  

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.”

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Etymology

Origin of caveat emptor

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1515–25

Example Sentences

As the phrase goes in Latin — caveat emptor, or “let the buyer beware.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 4, 2024

"This is one of the caveat emptor things that all foreign would-be acquirers should keep in mind."

From Reuters • Aug. 31, 2023

Obviously I am biased—for most of my life, I have been deeply invested in the idea that they matter—so caveat emptor.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2019

I don’t mind saying upfront that I generally regard professional psychics with a heavy dollop of caveat emptor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2017

And the seller has all the variants of caveat emptor ready to retort.

From The Jesus of History by Glover, T. R.