"These guys never waiver in supporting me."

When I read that sentence recently, I thought, "What a wonderful tribute to loyal friends — and what a great opportunity to discuss a common usage error."

"Waiver" is a noun meaning "a voluntary relinquishment of a right or advantage," while "waver" is a verb meaning "to vacillate, falter." So, the correct word in the first sentence should be "waver," not "waiver."

Because the meanings of both "waver" and "waiver" involve the concept of inconstancy, it's easy to see why these words are often confused, even by respected publications, e.g., "She understood why the practice was bad for kids, and never waivered in her opposition" (The Washington Post, March 22, 2016); "In regulation and in overtime, Bibby and Simon had the ball in their hands when the game was on the line. And neither of them waivered" (The New York Times, April 1, 1997).

Here's a handy mnemonic I often use: "The agency wavered on granting the waiver."

Sometimes the noun "waver" is misused for "waiver," e.g., "An Algerian man suspected in an al-Qaida plot to attack the U.S. Embassy in Paris signed a waver on Thursday agreeing to be extradited" (Associated Press, June 27, 2002).

Another error is using "waivered" for the past tense of the verb "waived," e.g., "The three 'tertiary' ethers are chemically similar to MTBE and would probably be waivered by the EPA" (Oil & Gas Weekly, April 15, 1991).

It's worth noting that "waivered" IS a word. It's sometimes used as an adjective to describe entities that have received a waiver, e.g., "Vowles and Pullen elementary schools had 6 waivered students combined." (The Morning Sun, Alma, Michican, Aug. 6, 2016).

And, perhaps because a wave of the hand can indicate that a restriction has been waived (picture an usher lifting a velvet rope to wave through a VIP), the verb "waive" is sometimes confused with "wave," e.g., "'End of story, please,' the elder Gotti said with a waive of his hand" (New York Post, Dec. 7, 2016).

Are you and I on the same "wave" length? Try this quick quiz to find out:

1. Our belief in his innocence will never (waver, waiver).

2. Emily decided to (waive, wave) her right to remain silent.

3. The government (waived, waivered) the registration fee.

4. Cheryl signed a (waver, waiver) to allow a search of her home.

5. The sorcerer made the chicken disappear with a (wave, waive) of his wand.

Answers: 1. waver; 2. waive; 3. waived; 4. waiver; 5. wave.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo credit: niekverlaan at Pixabay