vouch

American  

[vouch] / vaʊtʃ /

verb (used without object)

vouches, present (3rd person singular) vouched, past participle, past vouching present participle

1. to support as being true, certain, reliable, etc. (usually followed byfor ).

   Her record in office vouches for her integrity.

2. to attest; guarantee; certify (usually followed byfor ).

   to vouch for someone in a business transaction.

---

verb (used with object)

vouches, present (3rd person singular) vouched, past participle, past vouching present participle

1. to sustain or uphold by, or as if by, practical proof or demonstration.

2. (formerly) to call or summon (a person) into court to make good a warranty of title.

3. to adduce or quote in support, as extracts from a book or author; cite in warrant or justification, as authority, instances, facts, etc.

4. Archaic. to warrant or attest; to support or authenticate with vouchers.

5. Archaic. to declare as with warrant; vouch for.

6. Obsolete. to call or take as a witness.

noun

Obsolete.

1. a vouching; an assertion.

2. a formal attestation; a supporting warrant.

vouch British  

/ vaʊtʃ /

verb

1. to give personal assurance; guarantee

   I'll vouch for his safety

2. to furnish supporting evidence (for) or function as proof (of)

3. (tr) English legal history to summon (a person who had warranted title to land) to defend that title or give up land of equal value

4. archaic (tr) to cite (authors, principles, etc) in support of something

5. obsolete (tr) to assert

---

noun

1. obsolete the act of vouching; assertion or allegation

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unvouched
  adjective
• well-vouched
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has vouched
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have vouched
  perfect
• have been vouching
  perfect progressive
• are vouching
  progressive
• has been vouching
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am vouching
  progressive 1st person singular
• vouches
  singular 3rd person
• is vouching
  progressive 3rd person singular
• vouching
  participle

Past

• had vouched
  perfect
• was vouching
  progressive singular
• vouched
  simple
• were vouching
  progressive plural
• had been vouching
  perfect progressive
• vouched
  participle

Future

• will vouch
  simple
• will have vouched
  perfect
• will be vouching
  progressive
• will have been vouching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of vouch

1275–1325; Middle English vouchen < Anglo-French, Middle French vo ( u ) cher, Old French avochier < Latin advocāre; see advocate

Explanation

If you vouch for someone, you provide evidence or guarantee something on their behalf. If you vouch for your brother, you're saying he's a stand-up type of guy. First used in the 14th century, vouch comes from the Latin vocitare, ("to call, call upon, or summon"). Sometimes it can mean offering supporting evidence, as when, for example, you're summoned to court to testify on someone's behalf. If you write a letter of recommendation for a student or co-worker, you vouch for their character and abilities. If you take out a student loan, the government will automatically vouch for you, that is, they'll guarantee the loan will be repaid.

Example Sentences

Former England scrum-half Danny Care played in all five of England's fixtures in that campaign and can vouch for how transformative confidence – or the lack of it – can be.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

I use Claude, ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini every day, and I can vouch for the truth in the Claude warning.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Some guys kept to themselves, though it was rare that someone new would show up without having had a member vouch for them.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2026

We’ll also see the emergence of more labels like the “Organic Literature” certification, which intends to verify and vouch for human authorship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Lieutenant Cross went over and said he’d vouch that it was an accident.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien