# caveat

/ˈkeɪviˌæt/ (US) · /kˈævɪˌæt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/caveat
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a warning or condition

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Academic

a warning or a special condition that you should keep in mind.

For teachers: a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.

- The offer sounds great, but there is one major caveat: you must pay the full amount today.
- The researcher accepted the findings with the caveat that the sample size was too small to be truly representative of the population.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'that' followed by a clause, or 'with the caveat'.

### 2. legal objection

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

a formal notice to a court to stop a process from moving forward.

For teachers: a formal notice filed by an interested party with a court or officer to suspend a proceeding until the filer is given a hearing.

- His lawyers filed a caveat to prevent the will from being processed.
- The probate process was halted after a distant relative entered a caveat against the estate.

Usage: Commonly used with the verbs 'file', 'enter', or 'lodge'.

### 3. to add a condition

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

to add a warning or a limit to what you are saying.

For teachers: to qualify a statement or agreement by adding specific conditions or warnings.

- I should caveat my recommendation by saying I haven't used the product myself.
- The minister was careful to caveat her support for the project, noting that funding was not yet guaranteed.

Usage: This is a transitive verb that takes a direct object, often the statement being qualified.

Teaching tip: While traditionally a noun, the use of 'caveat' as a verb is increasingly common in professional and academic contexts.

## Examples

- The offer sounds great, but there is one major caveat.
- The committee approved the new budget with the caveat that no further hiring would occur this year.
- While the preliminary data suggests a breakthrough, the lead researcher added the caveat that the sample size was too small for a definitive conclusion.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.