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 fact, Ireland became the first European nation to guarantee religious freedom to Jewish people in 1937, when the continental current was, shall we say, running in a different direction.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
There is an obligation to buy tied into the loan that is believed to relate to appearances, and it is expected to be achievable - but that does not guarantee anything.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Bessent said that “the best way to guarantee is that the creators are liable for what they build and generate.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Ellison’s billionaire father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, in February agreed to personally guarantee the $47 billion in equity needed to buy out Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
“I have no guarantee whatsoever that you won’t just arrest me as soon as I walk through those doors behind me.”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Media law professor Frank LoMonte argued in 2018, “The First Amendment guarantees all Americans freedom to speak and publish without government interference.”
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
Mr. Xi won’t arrive with demands, but trading offers—soybeans, Boeing orders, rare-earth guarantees that Mr. Trump can announce that afternoon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
I’m doing everything I can on the preventative-care and healthy-lifestyle front, but unfortunately there are no guarantees.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
The so-called triple lock pension policy guarantees that annual payments will increase by either average wage growth, inflation or 2.5% - whichever is highest.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Uncle Carlos’s promises are guarantees, sometimes even more than my parents’.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
There’s a long walk through a tunnel to many American gates and greeters try to arrange a car if one is available, a perk typically only guaranteed if you buy Five Star Select.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Always ask how future premium increases are handled: traditional long-term-care premiums are not necessarily guaranteed to remain static.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
They are guaranteed, at the very least, home-field advantage in a wild-card series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
"Event planning must therefore assume that a crocodile sighting is possible… No natural waterway in crocodile country can be guaranteed to be crocodile-free."
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
It was the safest place I could think of to go—I wouldn’t run into anyone from Mount Pitts, and I was guaranteed a good selection at a low cost.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
“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
Kazakhstan's Rybakina is assured of replacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings, guaranteeing that by reaching the semi-finals.
From BBC ● 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
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a pivotal role by buying up mortgages and packaging them to sell to investors, guaranteeing the investors payments even if borrowers default.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
They had lost to the Rebels and instead of winning the district championship and guaranteeing themselves a trip to the playoffs, there might be only one game left in the season.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
