caveat
C1/C2Formal, academic, legal, business
Definition
Meaning
A warning or specific condition attached to an agreement, statement, or situation that should be considered to avoid problems or misunderstanding.
A formal notice or qualification intended to prevent misinterpretation, limit responsibility, or highlight a potential issue. In law, a formal notice to suspend a proceeding until the notifier is heard.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun. Often introduces a limitation or warning to an otherwise positive or general statement. Carries a slightly formal, legalistic tone in everyday use.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is used with essentially the same meaning in both varieties. The legal sense of a formal notice filed with a court is equally common.
Connotations
Slightly more common and naturalised in AmE in general business/academic contexts; retains a stronger association with legal jargon in BrE.
Frequency
Higher frequency in AmE corpora, particularly in journalistic and business writing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The report comes with one major caveat: the data is preliminary.I should add a caveat to my earlier statement.He accepted the job, with the caveat that he could work remotely.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Caveat emptor (Let the buyer beware)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to specify limitations in contracts, reports, or forecasts. 'The financial projection has a caveat regarding potential supply chain disruptions.'
Academic
Used to acknowledge limitations of a study or theory. 'The conclusions are promising, with the caveat that the sample size was small.'
Everyday
Used to introduce a warning before giving advice or agreeing to something. 'I recommend that restaurant, with the caveat that it's quite expensive.'
Technical
In law, a formal notice. In computing, a warning flag in documentation or code comments.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The manager felt the need to caveat the optimistic sales figures during the meeting.
American English
- Let me caveat my recommendation by saying I haven't been there in years.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The holiday offer seemed perfect, with one caveat: the flights were not included.
- He agreed to help, with the caveat that he had limited time.
- The researcher presented her findings, adding the caveat that correlation does not imply causation.
- The contract was signed, subject to the caveats outlined in schedule B.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CAVE with a sign at the entrance (AT the CAVE) warning you of dangers inside: CAVE-AT.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/AGREEMENT IS A STRUCTURE (and a caveat is a crack or flaw in that structure). COMMUNICATION IS A JOURNEY (and a caveat is a warning sign on the road).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'предостережение' for everyday warnings; it's more specific. 'Оговорка' or 'условие' are closer for its core meaning. The legal term is 'заявление о приостановке производства'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'I need to caveat that') – this is business jargon, not standard. Pronouncing it as /kəˈviː.æt/. Confusing it with a simple 'comment' or 'note' – a caveat implies a warning or limitation.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'caveat' used most precisely?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but it is more common in formal contexts. It's increasingly used in business and educated speech to sound precise when noting a limitation.
Using 'caveat' as a verb (e.g., 'to caveat a statement') is considered business or corporate jargon. It is not standard in formal writing and is best avoided in academic contexts.
The Latin phrase 'caveat emptor', meaning 'let the buyer beware', is the most common idiom, emphasizing the buyer's responsibility to assess a purchase.
A disclaimer is a broader statement denying responsibility or connection. A caveat is a specific warning or condition that qualifies a statement to prevent misunderstanding.
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Formal Debate Language
C2 · 48 words · Language for structured academic and political debate.
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