Word of the Day

Tuesday, December 05, 2000

caveat

\KAY-vee-at; KAV-ee-; KAH-vee-aht\ , noun;

(Law) A notice given by an interested party to some officer not to do a certain act until the opposition has a hearing.

A warning or caution; also, a cautionary qualification or explanation to prevent misunderstanding.

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Quotes:

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.

-- Roy Blount Jr., "Able Were They Ere They Saw Cable", New York Times, March 9, 1986

At Disney, Eisner says, adding an important caveat, "Failing is good, as long as it doesn't become a habit."

-- Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman, Organizing Genius

Origin:

Caveat comes from the Latin caveat, "let him beware," from cavere, "to beware."