waived; waiving
1
a
: to relinquish (something, such as a legal right) voluntarily
waive a jury trial
b
: to refrain from pressing or enforcing (something, such as a claim or rule) : forgo
waive the fee
2
: to put off from immediate consideration : postpone
3
[influenced by wave entry 1]
: to dismiss with or as if with a wave of the hand
waived the problem aside
4
: to place (a ball player) on waivers
also
: to release after placing on waivers
5
: to throw away (stolen goods)
7
archaic
: to shunt aside (a danger or duty) : evade
Examples of waive in a Sentence
She waived her right to a lawyer.
The university waives the application fee for low-income students.
Recent Examples on the Web
During the two-day cold snap, Florida waived its law requiring permits to transport iguanas, allowing residents to nab the pesky invaders and bring them to the state's wildlife officers to be euthanized.
—
Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
After being swapped with the Knicks for Guerschon Yabusele, forward Dalen Terry was traded from New York to the New Orleans Pelicans and subsequently waived.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Ragan waived his right to a jury for this specific phase, so that means a judge will have the sole authority to decide his sentence after hearing the evidence.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The Lakers could waive one of their fringe bench players, including Dalton Knecht (fully guaranteed through next season), forward/center Maxi Kleber ($11 million salary in 2025-2026) or Bronny James to make room for a free-agent acquisition.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waive
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Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
After being swapped with the Knicks for Guerschon Yabusele, forward Dalen Terry was traded from New York to the New Orleans Pelicans and subsequently waived.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Ragan waived his right to a jury for this specific phase, so that means a judge will have the sole authority to decide his sentence after hearing the evidence.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The Lakers could waive one of their fringe bench players, including Dalton Knecht (fully guaranteed through next season), forward/center Maxi Kleber ($11 million salary in 2025-2026) or Bronny James to make room for a free-agent acquisition.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waive
Cite this Entry
“Waive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waive. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waive
verb
waived; waiving
1
: to give up claim to
waived her right to answer
2
: to let pass
waive the fee
3
: to dismiss with or as if with a wave of the hand
waived the problem aside
Legal Definition
waive
transitive verb
waived; waiving
1
2
: to refrain from enforcing or requiring
some statutes waive the age requirement—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
waivable
adjective
Etymology
Anglo-French waiver, weiver, literally to abandon, forsake, from waif, weif forlorn, stray, probably from Old Norse veif something loose or flapping
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