• (RP) IPA: /ˈkævɪæt/, /ˈkeɪ-/
• (America) IPA: /ˈkæviɑt/, /-æt/

caveat (plural caveats)

1. A warning.

   There is at least one caveat in cultivation: you’ll have to stick to only one discipline, such as that according to Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha.

   • 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC ↗; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC ↗, page 291 ↗:

     And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]

2. A qualification or exemption.

   He gave his daughter some hyacinth bulbs with the caveat that she plant them in the shade.

3. (law) A formal objection.
   1. (law) A formal notice of interest in land under a Torrens land-title system.
4. (law) A notice requesting a postponement of a court proceeding.

• French: avertissement
• German: Vorbehalt, Warnung
• Italian: avvertenza, avviso
• Portuguese: advertência, aviso, reserva
• Russian: предупрежде́ние
• Spanish: advertencia, aviso, reserva

• German: Ausnahme, Vorbehalt
• Portuguese: ressalva
• Russian: поясне́ние
• Spanish: condición, salvedad

• German: Einspruch, Widerspruch
• Portuguese: notificação
• Russian: ходатайство о приостановка
• Spanish: notificación

caveat (caveats, present participle caveating; simple past and past participle caveated)

1. (transitive, regarded by some as nonstandard) To qualify a statement with a caveat or proviso.
2. (transitive, law) To formally object to something.
   1. (transitive, law, specifically) To lodge a formal notice of interest in land under a Torrens land-title system.
3. (transitive, law, dated) To issue a notice requesting that proceedings be suspended.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To warn or caution against some event.
   • 1825, John Jamieson, “CHRISTSWOORT, Christmas Flower”, in Supplement to the Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language: […], volume I (A–J) (in Scots), Edinburgh: […] University Press; for W[illiam] & C[harles] Tait, […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, →OCLC ↗, page 210 ↗, column 1:

     It is said that the herb Christswoort, or Christmas flower, in plain English Black Helebore, (so called from its springing about this time) helpeth madnesse, distraction, purgeth melancholy and dulnesse. This last expression minds me to caveat the Reader, not to be angry at Helebore because it's called Christmas flowre; for it, poore thing, hurts no body that lets it alone, […] [quoting V. Annand's Mysterium Pietatis, pages 24–25.]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• caveat emptor
• caveat lector
• caveat loan