waiver
Americannoun
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Law.
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an intentional relinquishment of some right, interest, or the like.
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an express or written statement of such relinquishment.
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Sports. an arrangement under which a professional player is released to become available to join a different team, which must then assume the player’s existing contract.
noun
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the voluntary relinquishment, expressly or by implication, of some claim or right
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the act or an instance of relinquishing a claim or right
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a formal statement in writing of such relinquishment
Usage
What is a waiver? A waiver is an intentional or agreed upon release of your rights, usually in the form of a written contract. In the law, to waive your rights or interests is to purposely give them up. A waiver is this intentional giving up or the form that records your decision. Example: All you have to do to enter is to sign this waiver and give us your pass.
Etymology
Origin of waiver
First recorded in 1620–30; from Anglo-French weyver, noun use of weyver to waive; see -er 3
Explanation
A waiver is a formal statement giving up a right. If you go on a school trip, your mom might sign a waiver saying that the school is not responsible if you get hurt on the trip. When you sign a waiver, you’re voluntarily giving up a privilege or legal right. A waiver is often required before you participate in something dangerous. If you decide to go skydiving, you might have to sign a waiver agreeing that you won’t sue the skydiving company if you get injured. That means you’re assuming all the risk associated with the activity. Other types of waivers can involve officially declining various rights, such as a privacy waiver or an insurance waiver.
Vocabulary lists containing waiver
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The university called the 1998 waiver a “red herring,” because the plans require a new waiver with each beneficiary change.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
In her second term, the Orange County Democrat lost her coveted spot on the Financial Services Committee after she listed it as her third choice and requested a waiver to stay on it.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
He added that the court agrees that Tartaglione's repeated public discussion of the note's contents "constitutes waiver of the attorney-client privilege as to the document" and that sealing is not justified on that basis.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
“New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” a spokeswoman said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The Hineses’ file noted they had too many children and needed a waiver for Luke and me, which might have been one reason they sent me to the other home.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
