Caveat ___ ("Buyer beware")

EMPTOR

This Latin phrase warns that the purchaser alone is responsible for checking the quality of an item before buying.

This clue fills in the blank for the Latin phrase "Caveat emptor," which translates to "Let the buyer beware." The answer is "EMPTOR," the Latin word for "buyer," often used in legal contexts to warn that purchases are made at the buyer’s own risk. It’s a straightforward definition with no wordplay—just a classic Latin term you might encounter in contracts or old-school business advice.