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 July, Burger King said it would guarantee Whopper quality, promising to remake unsatisfactory orders and provide a future Whopper for free.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The assistant district attorney assigned to the case spoke to jurors in terms that seemed to guarantee Mulholland’s exoneration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“A diplomatic process can reduce tail risk quickly, but it does not guarantee supply normalization on the same timetable.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
The deeper lesson, though, is that a constitutional right’s popular origins do not guarantee a democratic afterlife.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
“Anyway, I can guarantee that it is strong. It’s made out of the toughest material I have. It is also waterproof. The eggs are inside and will be warm and dry.”
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
"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
Recent history also suggests changing manager offers no guarantees.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Like Cole, Segal emphasizes that “rights are not gifts from judges, but guarantees rooted in constitutional democracy and human dignity.”
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
“There should be some guarantees of enough water for a smaller farm,” said Judith Redmond, a Yolo County farmer who co-authored the report.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
In fact, the Virginia Resolutions described the Alien and Sedition Acts as “alarming infractions” of the Constitution that violated the free speech guarantees of the First Amendment.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Even in concert cancellation situations that seem clear-cut to outsiders, insurance payouts aren’t guaranteed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
If you have any other guaranteed sources of income, such as a pension or annuity, add that under income.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
We were heading to Ice Cube and Mike Epps’ “Everyday’s Friday” concert and comedy show — a celebration of the cult classic “Friday” movie franchise — so a huge turnout was guaranteed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Ofsted say in such homes there are no guaranteed checks on staff or living conditions and there is no accountability when things go wrong.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Recipes for broth and soup guaranteed to heal the body.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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
"Realistically this is what we can guarantee - the big difference is we are guaranteeing it for a minimum of three years."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The idea of guaranteeing future demand to incentivize innovation was borrowed from vaccine development.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 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
When we say the search for life elsewhere is important, we are not guaranteeing that it will be easy to find—only that it is very much worth seeking.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
