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:
But there’s no guarantee that iPhones will remain the industry’s dominant hardware product in the AI era.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
The unions want a guarantee that nobody will be forced to leave - but the management has refused to rule it out.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
If it wants more protection, it can ask the owners for a personal guarantee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
But, Wilson added, “you don’t have to like me. You don’t have to love me. You can hate me with all your heart. ... But I guarantee you will respect me.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
With certain other countries there's no such guarantee.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Parachute money could ease those concerns, although there are no guarantees that the club would be entitled to those payments if they are demoted.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
All of these are formally associated with the federal government, but all are the beneficiaries of congressionally enacted guarantees of substantial reportorial and editorial independence.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
They quickly signed McDuffie to an extension that includes $100 million in guarantees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Assured, which guarantees roughly half of Brightline’s existing senior debt, is providing more than half of the financing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“The new government guarantees on its word of honor your personal safety and that of your family.”
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
All have become guaranteed starters and reliable stars for England, with the Barcelona winger the latest to look, according to captain Kane, like one of the Three Lions' "main men".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
She also wants guaranteed replacement costs for total losses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A guaranteed $110,000 in annual fixed income might sound ideal, but other financial planners warn it’s not so simple.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
If pleasant contentment is guaranteed if you just stay put, why take the risk?
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Because I can’t seem to find it anywhere, I’m guaranteed that such a word actually exists.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
“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
Congress settled that conflict decades ago by law, guaranteeing the paper’s editorial independence.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Rodríguez added it would prevent the government "from guaranteeing basic services to the population, which are already in a critical situation as a result of the blockade".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The company in July said it would start guaranteeing the quality of its Whoppers, committing to remake orders on the spot if customers deem them unsatisfactory, and providing a future Whopper for free.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
He was Hoede’s personal Squaller and often traveled with the merchant’s most precious cargos, guaranteeing favorable winds to bring the ships safely and quickly to harbor.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
