caveat emptor

Definition

Used as a warning to anyone purchasing something that there may be unforeseen problems or faults with the item that is purchased.

Etymology

Latin for “buyer beware”; from Latin caveat (“may he / she / subject-noun beware”), the third-person subjunctive of caveō (“I beware”) + ēmptor (“buyer”).

Example Sentences

• "In an email she wrote that the lack of regulation “leads to difficulty extrapolating available evidence to various products on the consumer market given the differences in chemical composition and purity.” She cautioned the public to weigh “both potential benefits and risks,” to which I would add caveat emptor — buyer beware."

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