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waiver

[ wey-ver ]
/ ˈweÉȘ vər /
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Definition of waiver

noun
Law.
  1. an intentional relinquishment of some right, interest, or the like.
  2. an express or written statement of such relinquishment.
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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Origin of waiver

First recorded in 1620–30; from Anglo-French weyver, noun use of weyver to waive; see -er3

Words nearby waiver

waitstaff, wait up, Waitz, waive, waived, waiver, waiver of premium, Wajda, waka, Wakamatsu, wakame
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT WAIVER

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.

Where does waiver come from?

The first records of the term waiver come from around 1620. It comes from the Anglo-French weyver. It combines waive, meaning “to give up” and the suffix –er, which turns verbs into the doers of the verbs.

A person or organization that asks someone to sign a waiver is usually doing so to protect themselves legally. The signer is giving up rights or interests by signing, such as when your parents have to sign a waiver so you can play sports. If you are injured or harmed while playing, your parents give up the right to sue the sports organization.

You might also sign a waiver in order to use a web service or social media outlet. These waivers usually state that when you sign them, you give up your right to online privacy and allow your data to be collected.

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How is waiver used in real life?

Because waivers are usually a legal tool, the term is most often used in legal or official conversations.

 

 

Try using waiver!

Is waiver used correctly in the following sentence?

Before entering the laser game, you have to sign a waiver giving up your right to sue the company if you get hurt during the game.

Words related to waiver

postponement, remission, abandonment, abdication, disclaimer, refusal, rejection, relinquishment, renunciation, reservation, resignation, surrender, foregoing, setting aside, tabling

How to use waiver in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for waiver

waiver
/ (ˈweÉȘvə) /
noun
the voluntary relinquishment, expressly or by implication, of some claim or right
the act or an instance of relinquishing a claim or right
a formal statement in writing of such relinquishment

Word Origin for waiver

C17: from Old Northern French weyver to relinquish, waive
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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