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:
That would guarantee the system’s solvency into the 2060s, the actuaries calculated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Past returns aren’t a guarantee of future performance.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
While kinder fixtures do not guarantee a strong start, they can certainly help.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Owning a property on the island doesn’t guarantee admission to the country club.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
With certain other countries there's no such guarantee.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
It is possible a deal could come together in the coming weeks, though there are no guarantees the parties will reach an agreement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
There are no guarantees in investing, but this is about as close as it gets to long-term peace of mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Virginia, Ginsburg’s opinion for the court explaining the Constitution’s guarantees against sex discrimination—which judges apply in cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as well.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
"The person may be returned all the same, it's just that this procedure requires basic guarantees", said human rights lawyer Laura Maria Medina Ferreras, adding that in her view these must "always" be respected.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Yes, without guarantees, once free I could probably use my abilities to shed light on the location of your grandfather.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
JG Leadwork and Roofing, a U.K.-based repair company, says insurance company approval is never guaranteed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Negotiations with the Lakers ceased when Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, requested a house, the use of private aircraft, guaranteed off-court earnings and an ownership stake in the team, according to the Athletic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
It cannot be guaranteed that every nation will toe the line of their confederation.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Locking in a guaranteed 3%, inflation-adjusted return for almost 30 years still isn’t competitive with the 6.8% or so U.S. equities have averaged over similar spans, also adjusted for inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
It was preordained, a bulletproof future they’d tricked themselves into believing was guaranteed to them.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
The transition talks between the interim government in Caracas and the opposition are backed by the United States, which says they will focus on rebuilding democratic institutions, strengthening the electorate and guaranteeing political participation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The chip designers that stand to sell hardware into these facilities are the same firms guaranteeing the projects that will buy them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
It's not until 2030 that it seeks to achieve its mission of guaranteeing every young person a clear path to good jobs.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But when the Legislature voted last year to extend the state climate program, that provision guaranteeing backup funding wasn’t included.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Some German military leaders feared that unrestricted submarine warfare would bring the United States into the war, thus guaranteeing Germany’s defeat.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
