Disclaimers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A notice that negates responsibility for potential issues or claims can be considered a protective statement
2. An announcement that limits liability concerning provided information typically functions as a risk management tool
3. Statements that clarify the absence of responsibility for certain outcomes or information

Etymology: "Disclaimers" is the plural of "disclaimer," so the core history belongs to the singular. The word comes from "disclaim," which goes back through Anglo-Norman "desclamer" to Latin roots meaning to cry out against or to deny, and it reached Middle English as "discleymer," a term for a formal renunciation of a claim. The older sense is legal: to disclaim was to give up or deny any right, title, or claim to something. The modern sense of a statement warning readers that a party accepts no responsibility for information is an extension of that renunciation. A publisher or software vendor who states that it "disclaims" liability is formally giving up a claim it might otherwise be held to. The same idea of formally refusing a claim, once used for property and inheritance, now covers the fine print on a product or a website.

Synonyms: denials, renunciations, disavowals, waivers, exclusions

Antonyms: affirmations, confirmations, assurances, guarantees, endorsements