Waive in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Waive means to give up a right, claim, fee or rule voluntarily, without being forced. To use waive in a sentence, name what is given up directly after the verb: “The bank agreed to waive the transfer fee.” The verb is transitive and formal, so it always takes a clear object.

Waive at a glance

• Waive is a transitive verb; its other forms are waives, waived and waiving.
• It always takes an object: a fee, a right, a rule, a penalty or a claim.
• The act is voluntary and usually formal, as in a contract or a policy.
• It appears in business, legal and customer-service writing.
• The commonest error is confusing waive with waver, which means to hesitate.

What does waive mean?

Waive is a transitive verb meaning to give up a right, claim or benefit voluntarily, or to choose not to enforce a rule or charge. The Cambridge entry for waive records the give-up sense and the refrain-from-enforcing sense. The first applies when a person chooses to relinquish something they own, such as the right to a trial. The second applies when an organisation drops a requirement, such as a fee. A third shade is to set aside a rule for one case only.

One limitation is worth stating plainly. Waive is not cancel or forgive. A person can waive only something they are entitled to, and the act must be their own choice, so a debt cancelled by a court is not waived. Where the point is that a rule no longer exists, remove or abolish is accurate, because waive applies to one case at a time.

How do you use waive in a sentence?

Waive keeps its object immediately after the verb, with no preposition in between. The object is almost always something the subject owns or controls, and the sentence often names who benefits.

The preposition is the tell. Writers never say waive on a fee or waive of a fee, because waive takes its object directly. A phrase such as the bank waived on the charge usually means the writer wanted a different verb, such as compromise.

Waive in a sentence: examples across contexts

Waive keeps one meaning while moving from a policy document to a phone call. The ten sentences below cross those settings, and each names the thing being given up.

The rental and insurance sentences show the useful habit of limiting a waiver, because waive can sound absolute when the concession is really for one case. Naming the condition keeps the sentence honest.

Waive vs waver and waiver

Waver is quite different: it means to hesitate between two choices. The noun waiver names the document or the act of giving something up. To forfeit a right means losing it through a fault or penalty, not choosing to give it up, and to excuse a fee can sound like forgiving it, which is warmer than the neutral waive.

Verdict: use waive for the act of giving something up, waver when someone cannot decide, and waiver for the paper or permission that records the choice.

Word forms and grammar of waive

Waive inflects regularly, and its noun is formed by adding r. The two homophones cause most of the confusion, so the table keeps them apart.

Waved belongs to wave, which means to move a hand or a flag, and it has nothing to do with giving anything up. A waver is a person who hesitates, and a waiver is the document. Only the noun with the r at the end records the concession.

Common mistakes with waive

• Incorrect: The manager waived on the parking fee. Correct: The manager waived the parking fee. Rule: Waive takes a direct object and needs no preposition.
• Incorrect: He wavered his right to a hearing. Correct: He waived his right to a hearing. Rule: Waver means to hesitate; waive is the verb for giving up a right.
• Incorrect: She signed a waive before the race. Correct: She signed a waiver before the race. Rule: The noun is waiver; waive is the verb.
• Incorrect: The court waived the debt for the family. Correct: The court cancelled the debt for the family. Rule: Only the owner of a right or fee can waive it.
• Incorrect: They waived that the rule did not apply. Correct: They waived the rule. Rule: Waive takes a noun phrase, never a that-clause.
• Incorrect: He waved the late fee. Correct: He waived the late fee. Rule: Waved involves a hand or flag, not a charge.

Practice using waive

Work through the six items, then read the reason beside each answer rather than only the key.

1. Fill the gap: The airline agreed to ______ the change fee.
2. Choose the better word: She (waived / wavered) for a moment before choosing a seat.
3. Correct the error: The club asked members to sign a waive.
4. Build a sentence: use waived the right about a tenant and a hearing.
5. Spot the register: which belongs in a lease — The landlord waived the late fee, or The landlord, like, let it slide?
6. Rewrite with the noun: The gym waived the joining fee. Use waiver.

Answers

1. waive — the airline chooses not to collect a charge it controls.
2. wavered — she hesitated, so the intransitive waver is correct.
3. The club asked members to sign a waiver — the document is a noun, and the verb would need an object.
4. Model answer: The tenant waived the right to a hearing in writing.
5. The landlord waived the late fee — a lease keeps formal register and avoids slang.
6. The gym granted a waiver of the joining fee — the noun names the act and takes of before the fee.

The bottom line

Use waive in a sentence when someone voluntarily gives up a right, fee or rule, and keep the thing given up straight after the verb. The two nuances that decide most sentences are these: the act must belong to the person or body making it, and the verb takes a noun object rather than a clause. Where the choice is simply to go without, forgo is the plainer verb.

Frequently asked questions about waive

Is waive a formal word?

Waive belongs to formal, written English, and it is at home in contracts, policies and legal notices. In everyday speech people more often say drop the fee or let it go. The word is never slang, so it can stand in a formal agreement without strain, though it would sound stiff in a quick text message.

What is the difference between waive and wave?

Waive and wave sound the same but mean different things. Waive means to give up a right or charge, while wave means to move a hand or flag, as in she waved goodbye. One useful test is the object: you waive a fee, and you wave a hand. Their past forms differ too.

Can you waive a fee?

Yes, to waive a fee is to choose not to collect a charge that could be demanded. A gym might waive a joining fee, and a bank might waive a monthly charge. The person or body that controls the fee makes the choice, so a customer asks for a fee to be waived rather than waiving it.

Is it waive or waiver?

Waive is the verb, so you waive a fee or a right. Waiver is the noun, so a club asks you to sign a waiver or grants a fee waiver. The r at the end marks the noun. Mixing them produces sentences such as sign a waive, which is a common and easily corrected error.

Have you ever wondered what it means to “waive” something? In simple terms, to waive is to voluntarily give up a right or claim without any expectation of compensation.

Whether it’s waiving a fee, a requirement, or a privilege, the act of waiving is a common occurrence in various legal, financial, and everyday situations. Understanding when and how to waive something can help you navigate agreements and interactions more effectively.

7 Examples Of Waive Used In a Sentence For Kids

• Waive your hand if you want to answer the question.
• Let’s all waive our arms in the air and dance!
• The teacher asked us to waive goodbye to our friends before leaving.
• Can you waive the flag during our school assembly?
• It’s fun to waive at your friends from a distance.
• Don’t forget to waive at your parents when they drop you off at school.
• We can waive our hands to say hello to each other.

14 Sentences with Waive Examples

1. Waive the late fees by explaining the situation to the library staff.
2. You can request to waive a prerequisite for a course if you have relevant experience.
3. Students with good academic standing may be able to waive certain graduation requirements.
4. Make sure to check if you qualify to waive the placement test for foreign language courses.
5. The university may waive certain fees for students facing financial difficulties.
6. If you have solid reasons, you can petition to waive a failing grade.
7. Attending a workshop may help you qualify to waive a mandatory seminar.
8. International students may need to apply to waive specific visa requirements.
9. Some colleges may waive application fees for students from underprivileged backgrounds.
10. You might be able to waive the need for certain textbooks if you can prove financial constraints.
11. Student council members can sometimes waive attendance requirements for other events.
12. Athletic scholarship recipients may be eligible to waive certain physical education courses.
13. Waive the strict dress code for cultural events with prior approval from the faculty.
14. Campus health services may waive fees for medical consultations in certain cases.

How To Use Waive in Sentences?

Waive means to refrain from insisting on or demanding something, such as a right or claim. To use waive in a sentence, follow these steps:

1. Identify the situation where you want to use the word waive. This could be in a legal context, a sports event, a negotiation, or any scenario where someone is choosing to give up a right or claim.

2. Determine the subject and the action related to waive. The subject is the person or entity that is choosing to waive something, and the action is the act of forgoing that particular right or claim.

3. Construct a sentence using waive in the appropriate context. For example: “The company agreed to waive the cancellation fee for the customer.”

4. Make sure the sentence is grammatically correct, with waive used in the proper tense (i.e., waived for past actions or waives for present actions) and in the correct form based on the subject.

5. Read the sentence aloud to ensure that it conveys the intended meaning clearly and effectively.

6. Practice using waive in different sentences to become more comfortable with its usage and to deepen your understanding of its meaning and application in various contexts.

By following these steps, you can confidently use waive in a sentence and enhance your communication skills.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concept of waiving a right or fee is commonly seen in legal agreements, contracts, and financial transactions. By agreeing to waive certain rights or fees, individuals or entities are voluntarily giving up or relinquishing a specific entitlement or financial obligation. This act can be done to simplify a process, demonstrate goodwill, or reach a mutually beneficial outcome.

Whether it’s waiving a late fee, waiving a claim, or waiving a legal right, understanding the implications of these actions is crucial before making a decision. It is important to carefully consider the terms and consequences of waiving anything in order to ensure that it aligns with one’s intentions and best interests.