1
: the act of intentionally relinquishing or abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege
also
: the legal instrument evidencing such an act
2
: the act of a club's waiving the right to claim a professional ball player who is being removed from another club's roster
—often used in the phrase on waivers denoting the process by which a player to be removed from a roster is made available to other clubs
Examples of waiver in a Sentence
a criminal defendant's waiver of a jury trial
The college got a special waiver from the town to exceed the building height limit.
He signed an insurance waiver before surgery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some college basketball players have entered the portal with no remaining eligibility while awaiting potential court rulings or NCAA waivers that could grant them additional years of playing time.
—
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
Congress must pass legislation to approve a waiver to use that location.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
In Idaho, a bill has been signed by Republican Governor Brad Little to get the ball rolling on a waiver request, but this has not yet been submitted.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Although imports of Russian uranium products were specifically banned in August 2024, companies can apply for waivers through January 2028.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waiver
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
Congress must pass legislation to approve a waiver to use that location.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
In Idaho, a bill has been signed by Republican Governor Brad Little to get the ball rolling on a waiver request, but this has not yet been submitted.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Although imports of Russian uranium products were specifically banned in August 2024, companies can apply for waivers through January 2028.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waiver
Cite this Entry
“Waiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiver. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waiver
noun
waiv·er
ˈwā-vər 
1
: the act of intentionally giving up a right, claim, or privilege
2
: a document containing a declaration of a waiver
Legal Definition
waiver
noun
waiv·er
ˈwā-vər
: the act of intentionally or knowingly relinquishing or abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege
also
: the legal instrument evidencing such an act compare estoppel, forfeiture
Note: Acts or statements made while forming or carrying out a contract may constitute a waiver and prevent a party from enforcing a contractual right (as when an insurer is barred from disclaiming liability because of facts known to it when it issued the insurance policy). Varying standards are applied by courts to determine if there has been a waiver of various constitutional rights (such as the right to counsel) in criminal cases.
Etymology
Anglo-French, from waiver to waive
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