Caveating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To introduce a conditional clarification or warning about a claim or proposal
2. To apply a restriction or condition to the information being provided or asserted
3. To qualify a statement by attaching a caution or limitation to it

Etymology: Caveat is a Latin legal formula, not a modern piece of jargon. In Latin, "caveat" is the third-person singular of "caveō," meaning "may he/she/it beware," and it was used as a formal instruction, as in "caveat emptor" ("let the buyer beware"). English borrowed the word directly from that Latin form, and it has stayed a learned term, which is why it still sounds like a courtroom notice rather than everyday speech. The verb "caveat" grew out of the noun. To caveat something is to attach a warning or qualification to it, so that the listener knows the claim comes with limits. The noun sense of a formal warning or notice came first, and the verb developed from it. The Latin root also explains a surprising relative: "show" comes from the same ancient source, so a distant cousin of "caveat" is a word about displaying something.

Synonyms: cautioning, warning, advising, notifying