What does waived mean?
Waived is the past tense and past participle of waive, a formal verb meaning to give up or set aside something voluntarily. It is especially common in legal and administrative language: a person may waive the right to appeal, a party may waive liability, or an institution may waive a fee or application requirement. Saying that someone “waived a right” means that they knowingly gave it up rather than exercising or preserving it; this can carry a negative implication if the right was important. “The fee was waived,” by contrast, is a neutral and often welcome statement meaning that no payment was required. Waived can also function attributively as an adjective, as in “a waived processing fee.” Although the word is used in both British and American English, its overall register is formal rather than conversational.
To give up or relinquish a right, claim, or entitlement voluntarily, or to set aside a rule, requirement, or charge.
"The parties waived their right to a jury trial."
Often formal and used in legal, financial, academic, or administrative contexts.
Set aside or exempted, especially from payment or a requirement.
"The waived registration fee allowed the student to attend the conference."
Most often used attributively before a noun such as fee, charge, or requirement.
To waive a right is to give it up voluntarily—while waiving a fee means making it disappear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of waived
The English word comes from Old French waiver, meaning to renounce, release, or give up. Its early sense was to forgo a right or claim, and it later developed the modern sense of setting aside a rule, requirement, or charge. Related English forms include the noun waiver, the adjective waivable, and the noun wavier, meaning one who waives.
Related word forms
How waived is actually used
The verb is common in legal, academic, financial, and administrative contexts. It is generally formal and neutral when referring to fees or requirements, but can sound negative when someone relinquishes an important right or entitlement.
Easily confused with waived
Waived means voluntarily gave up or set aside; waved means moved the hand or an object from side to side.