Caveat

Pronunciation

• US (General American) IPA: ˈkæ.vi,ɑːt
• UK IPA: ˈkæ.vɛə,ɑːt

Origin

From the Latin verb form caveat ("he may beware of"), from caveō ("I beware of").

Full definition of caveat

Noun

1. a warning
• 1986 March 9, Roy Blount Jr., "Able Were They Ere They Saw Cable", New York Times:Two young Harvard M.B.A.'s worked up some highly optimistic projections -- with the caveat that these were speculative and should of course be tested.
2. a qualification or exemptionHe gave his daughter some hyacinth bulbs with the caveat that she plant them in the shade.
3. (legal) a notice requesting a postponement of a court proceeding
4. (legal) a formal notice of interest in land, under a Torrens title

Verb

1. To qualify a particular statement with a proviso or caveat
• I want to caveat everything I say with the disclaimer that I was working from photos.
2. (legal) To lodge a formal notice of interest in land, under a Torrens title
• It is unclear whether or not a purchaser upon exchange of contracts will be regarded as guilty of postponing conduct if failing to caveat.
3. (legal, dated) To issue a notice requesting that proceedings be suspended
• The answer further alleged that the intestate, in right of his wife, caveated the probate in Virginia of the will of one William Hill, her relation ...
• The defendant, father of the testator, had caveated against granting of probate on the ground that the will not duly executed, ...
4. (obsolete) To warn or caution against some event
• December 14, I beseach you to caveat any addresse being fully heard until some person commissioned from this Countrey be their to confront the sayd Dutch or their complices.
• This last expression minds me to caveat the Reader, not to be angry at Helebore because it's called Christmas flowre; ...

Derived terms

• caveatable
• caveatee
• caveator
• caveatory
• caveatrix
• patent caveat
• uncaveated

Related terms

• caveat emptor
• caveat lector
• caveat loan

Usage notes

The modern use of "caveat" as a verb meaning "to qualify with a proviso" is often considered awkward or improper. This usage is strongly associated with former US Secretary of State Alexander Haig.

Brzezinski never used caveat as a verb. Does that make him better than Haig?

Some years ago, General Alexander Haig ... was widely criticized (and parodied) for using nouns as verbs in a highly idiosyncratic way, known as Haigspeak: phrases like 'I'll have to caveat my response, Senator, and I'll caveat that', ... From one point of view, however, Haig was merely displaying the virtuosity of English, if not its grace.

Using words such as "caveat," "resource," and "interface" as verbs is not only poor style, but also poor usage. They are nouns, not verbs, and they shouldn't be used as if they were.

Anagrams

• vacate