Wave vs. Waive: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on November 9, 2023
"Wave" refers to a moving pattern or motion, while "waive" means to relinquish a right or claim.
Key Differences
"Wave" denotes a physical motion, often undulating like the sea, symbolizing a pattern or movement, while "waive" signifies the intentional relinquishment of a known right, claim, or privilege.
"Wave" can describe a gesture used to greet or signal someone, showing a recognition or a bid for attention, whereas "waive" is a legal term, often indicating a formal declaration of foregoing some entitlement or requirement.
"Wave" has various meanings across scientific contexts, including disturbances that transfer energy from place to place, while "waive" strictly pertains to the voluntary abandonment or surrender of a right or privilege.
"Wave" can metaphorically depict a surge in emotions or actions, illustrating a collective, strong feeling or response, while "waive" remains a procedural action, generally devoid of emotional connotations.
"Wave," as a noun or verb, has forms reflecting its diverse meanings (waves, waved, waving), while "waive" is primarily a verb, with its action pertaining to a singular, specific legal or formal context.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Undulating motion or pattern
Relinquishment of a right
Usage
Physical or metaphorical movement
Legal/formal context
Part of Speech
Used both as noun and verb
Primarily used as a verb
Contextual Emotion
Can be emotional
Typically non-emotional
Variations
Has diverse meanings and forms
Singular, specific action
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Wave and Waive Definitions
Wave
Undulating motion
The wave rolled onto the shore.
Waive
Forgo
The university may waive the application fee.
Wave
Energy transfer
Light travels in a wave.
Waive
Surrender
She decided to waive her spot on the team.
Wave
Sudden occurrence
A wave of panic hit him.
Waive
Dispense with
They opted to waive formalities.
Wave
A member of the women's reserve of the US Navy, organized during World War II, but now no longer a separate branch.
Waive
Relinquish a right
He chose to waive his right to an attorney.
Wave
A ridge or swell moving through or along the surface of a large body of water.
Waive
To give up (a claim or right, for example) voluntarily; relinquish.
Wave
A small ridge or swell moving across the interface of two fluids and dependent on surface tension.
Waive
To refrain from insisting on or enforcing (a rule, penalty, or requirement, for example); dispense with
"The original ban on private trading had long since been waived" (William L. Schurz).
Wave
Often waves The sea
Vanished beneath the waves.
Waive
To refrain from engaging in, sometimes temporarily; cancel or postpone
Let's waive our discussion of that problem.
Wave
A moving curve or succession of curves in or on a surface; an undulation
Waves of wheat in the wind.
Waive
(Sports) To place (a player) on waivers.
Wave
A curve or succession of curves, as in the hair.
Waive
To relinquish (a right etc.); to give up claim to; to forgo.
If you waive the right to be silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.
Wave
A curved shape, outline, or pattern.
Waive
(particularly) To relinquish claim on a payment or fee which would otherwise be due.
Wave
A movement up and down or back and forth
A wave of the hand.
Waive
To put aside, avoid.
Wave
A surge or rush, as of sensation
A wave of nausea.
A wave of indignation.
Waive
(obsolete) To outlaw (someone).
Wave
A sudden great rise, as in activity or intensity
A wave of panic selling on the stock market.
Waive
(obsolete) To abandon, give up (someone or something).
Wave
A rising trend that involves large numbers of individuals
A wave of conservatism.
Waive
(obsolete) To move from side to side; to sway.
Wave
One of a succession of mass movements
The first wave of settlers.
Waive
To stray, wander.
Wave
A maneuver in which fans at a sports event simulate an ocean wave by rising quickly in sequence with arms upraised and then quickly sitting down again in a continuous rolling motion.
Waive
A woman put out of the protection of the law; an outlawed woman.
Wave
A widespread, persistent meteorological condition, especially of temperature
A heat wave.
Waive
(obsolete) A waif; a castaway.
Wave
A disturbance that travels through a medium. Energy is transferred by a wave from one region of the medium to another without causing any permanent displacement of the medium.
Waive
A waif; a castaway.
Wave
A graphic representation of the variation of such a disturbance with time.
Waive
To relinquish; to give up claim to; not to insist on or claim; to refuse; to forego.
He waiveth milk, and flesh, and all.
We absolutely do renounce or waive our own opinions, absolutely yielding to the direction of others.
Wave
A single cycle of a periodic wave.
Waive
To throw away; to cast off; to reject; to desert.
Wave
To move freely back and forth or up and down in the air, as branches in the wind.
Waive
To throw away; to relinquish voluntarily, as a right which one may enforce if he chooses.
Wave
To make a signal with an up-and-down or back-and-forth movement of the hand or an object held in the hand
Waved as she drove by.
Waive
To turn aside; to recede.
To waive from the word of Solomon.
Wave
To have an undulating or wavy form; curve or curl
Her hair waves naturally.
Waive
Do without or cease to hold or adhere to;
We are dispensing with formalities
Relinquish the old ideas
Wave
To cause to move back and forth or up and down, either once or repeatedly
She waved a fan before her face.
Waive
Lose or lose the right to by some error, offense, or crime
Wave
To move or swing as in giving a signal
He waved his hand.
Waive
Set aside
The judge agreed to waive the fine.
Wave
To signal or express by waving the hand or an object held in the hand
We waved goodbye.
Wave
To signal (a person) by using the hand to move in a specified direction
The police officer waved the motorist into the right lane.
Wave
To arrange into curves, curls, or undulations
Wave one's hair.
Wave
(intransitive) To move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat loosely.
The flag waved in the gentle breeze.
Wave
(intransitive) To move one’s hand back and forth (generally above the shoulders) in greeting or departure.
Wave
To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate.
I waved goodbye from across the room.
Wave
(intransitive) To have an undulating or wavy form.
Wave
(transitive) To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an undulating form or surface to.
Wave
(transitive) To produce waves to the hair.
Wave
To swing and miss at a pitch.
Jones waves at strike one.
Wave
(transitive) To cause to move back and forth repeatedly.
The starter waved the flag to begin the race.
Wave
To signal (someone or something) with a waving movement.
Wave
To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state.
Wave
To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft.
Wave
To generate a wave.
Wave
Obsolete spelling of waive
Wave
A moving disturbance in the level of a body of liquid; an undulation.
The wave traveled from the center of the lake before breaking on the shore.
Wave
(poetic) The ocean.
Wave
(physics) A moving disturbance in the energy level of a field.
Gravity waves, while predicted by theory for decades, have been notoriously difficult to detect.
Wave
A shape that alternatingly curves in opposite directions.
Her hair had a nice wave to it.
Sine wave
Wave
Any of a number of species of moths in the geometrid subfamily Sterrhinae, which have wavy markings on the wings.
Wave
A loose back-and-forth movement, as of the hands.
He dismissed her with a wave of the hand.
Wave
(figuratively) A sudden, but temporary, uptick in something.
A wave of shoppers stampeded through the door when the store opened for its Christmas discount special.
A wave of retirees began moving to the coastal area.
A wave of emotion overcame her when she thought about her son who was killed in battle.
Wave
One of the successive swarms of enemies sent to attack the player in certain games.
Wave
(usually "the wave") A group activity in a crowd imitating a wave going through water, where people in successive parts of the crowd stand and stretch upward, then sit.
Wave
See Waive.
Wave
To play loosely; to move like a wave, one way and the other; to float; to flutter; to undulate.
His purple robes waved careless to the winds.
Where the flags of three nations has successively waved.
Wave
To be moved to and fro as a signal.
Wave
To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state; to vacillate.
He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm.
Wave
To move one way and the other; to brandish.
Wave
To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an undulating form a surface to.
Horns whelked and waved like the enridged sea.
Wave
To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft.
Wave
To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate.
Look, with what courteous actionIt waves you to a more removed ground.
She spoke, and bowing wavedDismissal.
Wave
An advancing ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid, as of the sea, resulting from the oscillatory motion of the particles composing it when disturbed by any force their position of rest; an undulation.
The wave behind impels the wave before.
Wave
A vibration propagated from particle to particle through a body or elastic medium, as in the transmission of sound; an assemblage of vibrating molecules in all phases of a vibration, with no phase repeated; a wave of vibration; an undulation. See Undulation.
Wave
Water; a body of water.
Build a ship to save thee from the flood,I 'll furnish thee with fresh wave, bread, and wine.
Wave
Unevenness; inequality of surface.
Wave
A waving or undulating motion; a signal made with the hand, a flag, etc.
Wave
The undulating line or streak of luster on cloth watered, or calendered, or on damask steel.
Wave
Something resembling or likened to a water wave, as in rising unusually high, in being of unusual extent, or in progressive motion; a swelling or excitement, as of feeling or energy; a tide; flood; period of intensity, usual activity, or the like; as, a wave of enthusiasm; waves of applause.
Wave
One of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
Wave
A movement like that of an ocean wave;
A wave of settlers
Troops advancing in waves
Wave
(physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
Wave
Something that rises rapidly;
A wave of emotion swept over him
There was a sudden wave of buying before the market closed
A wave of conservatism in the country led by the hard right
Wave
The act of signaling by a movement of the hand
Wave
A hairdo that creates undulations in the hair
Wave
An undulating curve
Wave
A persistent and widespread unusual weather condition (especially of unusual temperatures)
Wave
A member of the women's reserve of the United States Navy; originally organized during World War II but now no longer a separate branch
Wave
Signal with the hands or nod;
She waved to her friends
He waved his hand hospitably
Wave
Move or swing back and forth;
She waved her gun
Wave
Move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion;
The curtains undulated
The waves rolled towards the beach
Wave
Twist or roll into coils or ringlets;
Curl my hair, please
Wave
Set waves in;
She asked the hairdresser to wave her hair
Wave
Greeting gesture
She gave a friendly wave.
Wave
Hair style
She styled her hair in soft waves.
FAQs
Is "waive" about giving up rights?
Yes, it often involves relinquishing legal rights or privileges.
Does "waive" mean to defer?
It can, especially in legal contexts.
Is "waive" used in sports?
Yes, players can be waived, meaning released from a team.
Is "wave" used in science?
Yes, in contexts like sound or light waves.
Can "wave" indicate a pattern?
Yes, as in patterns found in nature or trends.
Is "waive" a formal term?
Generally, yes, used in legal or official contexts.
Does "waive" imply permission?
Sometimes, when one forgoes a formal requirement.
Can "wave" be a greeting?
Absolutely, it’s a common gesture of greeting or farewell.
Can "wave" mean a surge?
Yes, as in a wave of emotion or a wave of people.
Can "wave" describe hair?
Yes, as in wavy hair.
Does "wave" suggest rhythm?
Often, especially when describing repeated patterns.
Is a "wave" tangible?
It can be, like waves in the ocean, but not always, like radio waves.
Does "wave" have multiple forms?
Yes, including waved, waving, and waves.
Can "waive" be passive?
No, it's an active decision.
Can "waive" apply to fees?
Yes, fees can be waived, meaning they are not required.
Can "wave" be a collective feeling?
Yes, like a wave of relief or fear.
Does "waive" involve a decision?
Yes, it's a conscious choice to relinquish.
Is "waive" irreversible?
Often, but context-specific.
Can "waive" be informal?
Rarely, it’s mostly a formal action.
Does "wave" imply motion?
Typically, it suggests movement or flow.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
