waive
Americanverb (used with object)
-
waives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waived,
past participle, past
-
waiving
present participle
-
to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up; forgo.
to waive one's right;
to waive one's rank;
to waive honors.
- Antonyms:
- demand
-
Law. to relinquish (a known right, interest, etc.) intentionally.
-
to put aside for the time; defer; dispense with.
to waive formalities.
-
to put aside or dismiss from consideration or discussion.
waiving my attempts to explain.
verb
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to set aside or relinquish
to waive one's right to something
-
to refrain from enforcing (a claim) or applying (a law, penalty, etc)
-
to defer
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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waivesimple
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waivessimple
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have waivedperfect
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has waivedperfect
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am waivingprogressive
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are waivingprogressive
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is waivingprogressive
-
have been waivingperfect progressive
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has been waivingperfect progressive
Past
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waivedsimple
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had waivedperfect
-
was waivingprogressive
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were waivingprogressive
-
had been waivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of waive
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English weyven, from Anglo-French weyver “to make a homeless child (of someone) by forsaking or outlawing (that person)”; see waif ( def. )
Explanation
To waive is to give up one's right to do something. If you waive your right to help name your family's new puppy, you can't complain if he ends up being called "Mr. Tinkerbell Sweetheart Lovey-Face." Waive comes from a Middle English word meaning to abandon; the word waif, which refers to a neglected or orphaned child, shares the same root. However, while abandoning a child on a street corner is not okay, waiving one's right to do something is in most cases perfectly acceptable. A document stating one's decision to give up one's rights is appropriately called a waiver.
Vocabulary lists containing waive
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American Football, 3rd Quarter
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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.
See Examples For:
While the fee is set by state tax code, governors can waive it in specific circumstances, as Schwarzenegger did.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Christine is one of four women who have chosen to waive their anonymity and speak publicly to the BBC documentary, Britain's Forgotten Girls, about how they were targeted by criminals when they were children.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
“I know how it feels to waive rent someone genuinely owes you,” he adds.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
The agent offered to waive it for a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“There was a question just now, Mr. Jaggers, which you desired me to waive for a moment. I hope I am doing nothing wrong in asking it again?”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
These are temporary periods in late summer when a state waives or reduces taxes on items such as school supplies, clothes or electronics to help families cut their back-to-school costs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
One plan, for instance, waives unpaid interest if monthly minimum payments aren’t high enough to cover it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
So she sued under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which waives the U.S. government’s immunity from certain lawsuits.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026
The federal program also waives fees and requirements for “legitimate” recycling of certain hazardous wastes, such as scrap metal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
Some Argie diplomat in New York, still harping on about the Belgrano being outside the zone, said Britain no longer rules the waves, it just waives the rules.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Jesse Lynn and Ted Papapostolou resigned from the Caesars board, and The Icahn Group waived its right to appoint replacement directors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
If they’re still not budging, you can request other concessions, such as a discounted deposit, free parking or a waived pet fee.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Other intriguing players, such as wideout Dalevon Campbell, outside linebacker Kyle Kennard and linebacker Junior Colson, a third-round pick in 2024, were waived.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Voyages between U.S. ports taken by foreign ships, as of Aug. 7, since Trump waived the Jones Act on March 17, according to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram runs an editorial praising Attorney General Tom Clark, who waived immigration restrictions to give Joey passage.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Some sellers reported having to sign clauses waiving their right to compensation in the event of a drone strike on warehouse facilities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
For 30 days, the president is barred from softening or waiving the statutory sanctions Congress has imposed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Brittan, from Devon, who spoke to the BBC after waiving her automatic lifelong right to anonymity, described the Met as "shambolic, incompetent and complicit".
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Caplin said the league is not interested in waiving blackout rules on a team-by-team basis, even for those teams whose rights no longer are held by a cable or satellite entity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
The judge warned Joe repeatedly that a guilty plea meant waiving his right to a trial, his right to testify, and his right to appeal her ruling.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
