disclaimer

disclaimer — noun

1. a public notice in which a person or organisation states clearly that they have

1.nounB2
Definition

a public notice in which a person or organisation states clearly that they have no legal obligation or involvement regarding something, such as website content or a claim made in a publication.

Example

The website's disclaimer states that the company is not responsible for comments posted by users.

disclaimer + states + that-clause for scope of non-responsibility

Before downloading the software, users must read and accept the disclaimer.

collocation: read and accept a disclaimer

Common collocations
  • legal disclaimer
  • standard disclaimer
  • website disclaimer
  • email disclaimer
  • issue a disclaimer
  • include a disclaimer
  • carry a disclaimer
Synonyms
  • disavowal

    Formal rejection of any personal connection or knowledge; stronger personal involvement implied

  • denial

    Blunter and less formal; simply says something is not true or not your doing

  • repudiation

    Stronger moral or legal rejection; often implies disapproval of what is being rejected

Antonyms
  • acceptance

    Agreement to take on responsibility rather than reject it

  • acknowledgment

    Admission of connection, knowledge, or responsibility

Grammar Patterns

disclaimer + that-clause

disclaimer of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often followed by a that-clause that specifies exactly what the speaker or organisation is not responsible for. Very common in digital contexts — websites, apps, email footers, and social media — where liability must be explicitly disclaimed.

Common Mistakes

The email footer contained a disclaimer saying the message was confidential.
The email footer contained a disclaimer saying the company was not responsible for the information in it.
A disclaimer denies responsibility; a confidentiality notice is a different kind of statement.
The doctor gave a disclaimer about the patient's condition.
The hospital issued a disclaimer stating it was not responsible for the accuracy of the online health guide.
A disclaimer denies the speaker's own responsibility; it is not an opinion or warning about someone else.

2. a legal document that a person signs to formally give up a right or claim they a

2.nounC1
Definition

a legal document that a person signs to formally give up a right or claim they are entitled to, such as an inheritance, property interest, or insurance benefit.

Example

The heir signed a disclaimer giving up all rights to the family estate.

collocation: sign a disclaimer

Before receiving the inheritance, she was required to file a formal disclaimer with the court.

collocation: file a disclaimer with the court

Common collocations
  • disclaimer of interest
  • disclaimer of inheritance
  • disclaimer of rights
  • file a disclaimer
  • sign a disclaimer
  • submit a disclaimer
Synonyms
  • renunciation

    The formal act of giving up a right or position; often interchangeable in legal contexts

  • waiver

    Voluntary surrender of a known right; narrower — usually applies to specific rights rather than broad claims

  • relinquishment

    Formal giving up of a possession or claim; somewhat broader, can apply to physical property

Antonyms
  • claim

    An assertion of a right to something

  • assertion

    Maintaining or insisting on a right rather than abandoning it

Grammar Patterns

disclaimer of + noun (right/claim/interest)

sign + disclaimer

file + disclaimer

Usage Note

Typically appears in legal proceedings concerning inheritance, property, trusts, or insurance claims. The key difference from sense 1 is that sense 2 involves voluntarily abandoning a right you already hold, rather than denying general responsibility for something.

Common Mistakes

She signed a disclaimer that the house was not hers.
She signed a disclaimer giving up her right to inherit the house.
Sense 2 is about renouncing something you are entitled to, not just stating a fact about ownership.
The company issued a disclaimer of liability after the accident.
The beneficiary filed a disclaimer of interest in the trust fund.
'Disclaimer of liability' belongs to sense 1 (DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY); sense 2 is about giving up specific rights or claims.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Disavowal, renunciation, repudiation, and waiver all describe forms of rejection or relinquishment, but the contexts differ sharply. Disavowal focuses on denying personal connection or prior knowledge — a politician's disavowal of a staff member's remarks. Repudiation is stronger and often moral in tone — she repudiated the extremist views attributed to her group. Renunciation and waiver are closer to sense 2 — the formal giving up of a right, such as renunciation of a claim to the throne or signing a waiver to release a business from liability. Disclaimer is broader than any of these: it can act as either a disavowal (sense 1) or a renunciation (sense 2), but always takes the form of a formal statement, whereas waiver often refers to the legal effect itself rather than the document.

disavowalrenunciationrepudiationwaiver ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • subject to a disclaimer
  • contain a disclaimer
  • include a disclaimer

Prepositions

  • disclaimer about
  • disclaimer regarding
  • disclaimer concerning

Etymology

Anglo-FrenchLatinEnglish

Disclaimer comes from the Anglo-French verb 'disclaimer', meaning to deny or disavow, formed from 'dis-' (away, apart) and 'claimer' (to call out, claim). It entered English legal usage in the 1400s as a noun for a formal denial. By the 1600s it had taken on its modern meaning: a written or spoken statement that rejects responsibility or connection with something.