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
Only government aircraft and commercial planes coming in and out of the airport can operate in this area without a waiver, according to the FAA.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Bido joined the Braves as a waiver claim last year before being quickly designated for assignment, hopping around and then returning to the Braves just before Opening Day.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The waiver begins Wednesday and reflects growing supply concerns over certain fuels due to the effective blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Outfielder Michael Siani was claimed on waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for waiver
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Bido joined the Braves as a waiver claim last year before being quickly designated for assignment, hopping around and then returning to the Braves just before Opening Day.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The waiver begins Wednesday and reflects growing supply concerns over certain fuels due to the effective blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Outfielder Michael Siani was claimed on waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for waiver
Cite this Entry
“Waiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiver. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
