waiver

American  

[wey-ver] / ˈweɪ vər /

noun

• waivers
  plural

1. Law.

   1. an intentional relinquishment of some right, interest, or the like.

   2. an express or written statement of such relinquishment.

2. 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.

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waiver British  

/ ˈweɪvə /

noun

1. the voluntary relinquishment, expressly or by implication, of some claim or right

2. the act or an instance of relinquishing a claim or right

3. a formal statement in writing of such relinquishment

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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• waivers
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waiver waivers

But given past underreporting, it will also require "decisive corrective measures to support the authorities' request for a waiver regarding the misreporting of data", the IMF said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

About a month before Polestar’s exit announcement, the Commerce Department approved a waiver for Volvo Cars—which has common Chinese ownership and other links to Polestar—to continue selling its vehicles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Your friend can also apply for an undue-hardship waiver.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

He’d draw attention from other teams on the waiver wire or as a free agent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

A full-tuition waiver would require a near-perfect GPA.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Several other cheeses are expected to receive similar waivers, allowing farmers to feed livestock with grass and hay brought in from outside their strict geographical zone.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

But Scott, who played for the Chicago Bears in 2023 and 2024, has made an impression that could land him on the practice squad if he is cut and clears waivers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the government to block the project, alleging the waivers violated the Constitution.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Iran is seeking sanctions waivers to sell its oil and an end to the U.S. blockade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

At that time I hadn’t seen the suspects—just examined their possessions and arranged the extradition waivers.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

• postponement
• remission