guarantee
Americannoun
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guarantees
plural
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a promise or assurance, especially one in writing, that something is of specified quality, content, benefit, etc., or that it will perform satisfactorily for a given length of time.
a money-back guarantee.
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an assurance that another’s obligation will be fulfilled, or something presented as such security; guaranty.
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something that assures a particular outcome or condition.
Wealth is no guarantee of happiness.
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a person who gives a guarantee or guaranty; guarantor.
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a person to whom a guarantee is made.
verb (used with object)
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guarantees,
present (3rd person singular)
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guaranteed,
past participle, past
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guaranteeing
present participle
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to secure, as by giving or taking security.
A credit card guarantees your reservation at the hotel.
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to make oneself answerable for (something) on behalf of someone else who is primarily responsible.
to guarantee the fulfillment of a contract.
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to undertake to ensure for another, as rights or possessions.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
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to serve as a warrant or guaranty for.
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to undertake to protect or indemnify.
to guarantee a person against loss.
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to undertake (to do something).
I will guarantee to prove every word I stated.
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to promise (usually followed by a clause as object).
I guarantee that I'll be there.
noun
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a formal assurance, esp in writing, that a product, service, etc, will meet certain standards or specifications
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law a promise, esp a collateral agreement, to answer for the debt, default, or miscarriage of another
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a person, company, etc, to whom a guarantee is made
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a person, company, etc, who gives a guarantee
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a person who acts as a guarantor
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something that makes a specified condition or outcome certain
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a variant spelling of guaranty
verb
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(also tr) to take responsibility for (someone else's debts, obligations, etc)
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to serve as a guarantee for
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to secure or furnish security for
a small deposit will guarantee any dress
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to undertake to protect or keep secure, as against injury, loss, etc
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to ensure
good planning will guarantee success
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to promise or make certain
Usage
What does guarantee mean? A guarantee is a promise or assurance, especially one that is written or legally binding, that something is of a stated quality or will perform as stated, such as a guarantee that a car you purchase will operate correctly. A guarantee is also an assurance of a particular outcome or condition, as in Weather predictions are not guarantees. Weather often changes quickly. To guarantee something is to secure something, as a ticket guarantees entry to a movie showing. As well, to guarantee is to promise to do something, usually by signing a legally binding agreement, as in The company guaranteed me a job when I signed the contract. Example: I guarantee you will love your purchase and will give you a full refund if you don’t.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonguaranteenoun
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preguaranteenoun
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reguaranteenoun
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superguaranteenoun
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quasi-guaranteedadjective
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unguaranteedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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guaranteesimple
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guaranteessimple
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have guaranteedperfect
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has guaranteedperfect
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am guaranteeingprogressive
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are guaranteeingprogressive
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is guaranteeingprogressive
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have been guaranteeingperfect progressive
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has been guaranteeingperfect progressive
Past
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guaranteedsimple
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had guaranteedperfect
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was guaranteeingprogressive
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were guaranteeingprogressive
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had been guaranteeingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of guarantee
First recorded in 1670–80; alteration of guaranty
Explanation
To guarantee is to promise or to a make binding agreement. If a baseball player guarantees his team will win the World Series, he better not lead the league in strikeouts. Guarantee is a word that is both a noun and a verb: the noun means "a binding agreement" and the verb is the act of making that agreement. This word seems to have come from garante, the Spanish word for "protect" and it's related to the Old French word warrant, which means "to authorize." Today, we often come across guarantee in advertisements, and you might wonder how they might guarantee to make your social life better if your teeth are whiter!
Vocabulary lists containing guarantee
Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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Frindle
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"The Constitution"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In 2009 the California solar-panel maker received a $535 million federal loan guarantee and went bankrupt two years later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
It cannot, by itself, restore public trust or guarantee ethical leadership.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Tertiary Education Minister Alyn Smith said the Scottish government was aware a "significant transformation" was required across the college sector to guarantee its long-term future.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
At the same time, their studies no longer guarantee the standard of living their parents enjoyed, as a result of high housing costs and the risks linked to the climate crisis.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
And yeah, okay, those dudes were really on a team, but I guarantee they kept half that money they raised for themselves.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
The union's demands range from five percent more pay over twelve months, to profit sharing in successful companies and guarantees on jobs.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
However, those talks were reported to have collapsed over credit and financial guarantees, and producers began developing The Pitt in its place.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Williams, a 2023 Pro Bowl player, signed a three-year extension before last season that included $23 million in guarantees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
Except the U.S. guarantees the right to a secret ballot, which means it’s pretty much impossible to tell what someone was thinking when they bubbled in their preferred candidates.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
“I hope so. But in medicine, there are no guarantees, I am sorry to say.”
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
Warren’s claim to the chairmanship stems from her being the committee’s most senior-ranking Democrat, but the title isn’t guaranteed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
And because the air isn't at mid-winter temperatures yet it means cold and snowy weather for the UK is far from guaranteed.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Those golfers were wary of a proposed model that would have replaced the guaranteed contracts and generous tournament purses provided by PIF with promises of equity in the league and an abbreviated schedule.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
You should also be extremely cautious about promises of unusually high or too-good-to-be-true guaranteed returns.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Those tags guaranteed that the workers who made those garments were treated better.
From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell
“Since Oct. 7, there is no mechanism for guaranteeing the well-being of Palestinian citizens,” said Issam Younes, head of Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, a Palestinian rights organization.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
And short of guaranteeing that someone gets slapped across the face every year, count on the Oscars to try to regain its distinction while courting viewers however possible.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Research by one Bristol food writer has raised questions about transparency, with some creators guaranteeing positive coverage in advance and offering not to make clear their review was in exchange for a free meal.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Both political camps have been protesting ahead of the negotiations, which according to the US State Department, will focus on rebuilding democratic institutions, strengthening the electorate and guaranteeing political participation.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
A headhunter he’d contacted via e-mail was practically guaranteeing them work.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
