ressalvar

Ressalvar is a Portuguese verb used mainly in formal, administrative, or legal language. It means to reserve or set aside something, to make a qualification or caveat in relation to a statement, or to reserve a right or privilege. In practice, it is often used to indicate that a claim is true only under certain conditions or that an element should be excluded from a general rule. It can also serve to highlight a proviso added to a broader assertion.

Usage and nuances: ressalar is commonly found in contracts, official reports, academic writing, and journalism. The typical construction is ressalar with que, as in ressalar que: "Ressalvo que os números são estimativas." The impersonal form ressala-se can appear in formal discourse to introduce a caveat: "Ressalva-se que algumas condições se aplicam." In everyday language, synonyms such as frisar, observar, or salienta can be used, but they do not carry the exact sense of reserving a condition or right.

Examples:

- Ressalvo que os dados são estimativas.

- O contrato ressalva a possibilidade de reajuste.

Etymology and related notes: the verb is built from the base salvar (to save) with a prefix that yields a sense of making a reservation or exception. It is distinct from ressaltar, a different verb meaning to emphasize or highlight.

Conjugation notes: ressalvar is a regular -ar verb. Common present forms include eu ressalvo, você ressalva, nós ressaltamos, eles ressaltam. As a formal term, it appears in legal and bureaucratic registers and is less common in casual speech.