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Waiver
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.
Regulatory agencies or governments may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United States law restricted the size of banks, but when banks exceeded these sizes, they obtained waivers. In another example, the United States federal government may issue waivers to individual states so that they may provide Medicaid in different ways than the law typically requires.
While a waiver is often in writing, sometimes a person’s words can also be used as a counteract to a waiver. An example of a written waiver is a disclaimer, which becomes a waiver when accepted. When the right to hold a person liable through a lawsuit is waived, the waiver may be called an exculpatory clause, liability waiver, legal release, or hold harmless clause.
In some cases, parties may sign a “non-waiver” contract which specifies that no rights are waived, particularly if a person’s actions may suggest that rights are being waived. This is particularly common in insurance, as it is less detailed than a reservation of rights letter; the disadvantage is that it requires the signature of the insured.
Sometimes the elements of “voluntary” and “known” are established by a legal fiction. In this case, one is presumed to know one’s rights and that those rights are voluntarily relinquished if not asserted at the time.
In civil procedure, certain arguments must be raised in the first objection that a party submits to the court, or else they will be deemed waived.
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Waiver (noun)
The act of waiving, or not insisting on, some right, claim, or privilege.
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Waiver (noun)
A legal document removing some requirement, such as waiving a right (giving it up) or a waiver of liability (agreeing to hold someone blameless).
“I had to sign a waiver when I went skydiving, agreeing not to sue even if something went wrong.”
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Waiver (noun)
Something that releases a person from a requirement.
“I needed a waiver from the department head to take the course because I didn’t technically have the prerequisite courses.”
“I needed a waiver from the zoning board for the house because the lot was so small, but they let me build because it was next to the park.”
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Waiver (noun)
The process of waiving or outlawing a person.
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Waiver (verb)
To waive.
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Waiver (verb)
misspelling of waver
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Waver (verb)
To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.
“Flowers wavered in the breeze.”
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Waver (verb)
To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
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Waver (verb)
To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
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Waver (verb)
To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.
“His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.”
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Waver (verb)
To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.
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Waver (verb)
To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.
“Despite all terrible things which eventually happened to her, she never wavered from his beliefs.”
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Waver (noun)
An act of wavering, vacillating, etc.
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Waver (noun)
Someone who waves, enjoys waving, etc.
“I felt encouraged by all the enthusiastic wavers in the crowd.”
“The Fourth of July brings out all the flag wavers.”
“Johnny is such a little waver; everyone who passes by receives his preferred greeting.”
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Waver (noun)
Someone who specializes in waving (hair treatment).
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Waver (noun)
A tool that accomplishes hair waving.
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Waver (noun)
A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.