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caveat

Etymology and origin of the English word caveat

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Formation
Borrowing
Borrowed from
Latin caveat

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkævɪæt/ (UK); /ˈkæviɑt/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin caveat (“let him beware”),[2][3][4][5][6] the third person singular present subjunctive of Latin cavēre (“to beware, take heed”).[2][3][4][6] It first appeared in English in the legal phrase caveat emptor “let the buyer beware” (1523).[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

A warning or caution (1549 in Barnhart;[3] 1550s in Etymonline;[4] 1533 in Merriam-Webster).[5]

Semantic evolution

In law a caveat is a notice asking a court to suspend proceedings until the person giving it is heard,[7][2][5] a sense attested from the 1650s.[4][7] In general use the word moved from a warning to a qualification or proviso,[2][5] and the verb “to qualify with a warning” is a modern development.[2][1]

Timeline

  • 1523 – caveat emptor.[3][7]
  • 1549 – a warning or caution.[3]
  • 1557 – a warning or admonition.[7]
  • 1579 – a proviso or reservation, now obsolete.[7]
  • 1654 – a legal process to suspend proceedings.[7][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A warning or caution.
  2. A qualification or explanation added to prevent misunderstanding.
  3. (law) A formal notice to a court asking it to suspend a proceeding until the person filing it is heard.

Verb

  1. To qualify a statement with a warning or proviso.
  2. (law) To enter a caveat.

Word family

  • caveator
  • caveat emptor
  • caveat lector
  • caution

Usage notes

Wiktionary notes that the modern verb meaning “to qualify with a proviso” is often considered awkward or improper.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Caveat.” Etymologically, 13 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/caveat. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·