waive

/weɪv/

/weɪv/

Other forms: waived; waiving; waives

To waive is to give up one's right to do something. If you waive your right to help name your family's new puppy, you can't complain if he ends up being called "Mr. Tinkerbell Sweetheart Lovey-Face."

Waive comes from a Middle English word meaning to abandon; the word waif, which refers to a neglected or orphaned child, shares the same root. However, while abandoning a child on a street corner is not okay, waiving one's right to do something is in most cases perfectly acceptable. A document stating one's decision to give up one's rights is appropriately called a waiver.

Definitions of waive

1. verb

   do without or cease to hold or adhere to
   synonyms: dispense with, forego, foreswear, forgo, relinquish

   types:

   give up, kick

   stop consuming
2. verb

   lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime
   synonyms: forego, forfeit, forgo, give up, throw overboard

   types:

   lapse

   let slip

   type of:

   abandon

   forsake; leave behind