guarantee

[ gar-uhn-tee ]

/ ˌgær ənˈti /

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See synonyms for: guarantee / guaranteed / guaranteeing / guarantees on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

an assurance that another’s obligation will be fulfilled, or something presented as such security; guaranty (defs. 1, 2).

something that assures a particular outcome or condition: Wealth is no guarantee of happiness.

a person who gives a guarantee or guaranty; guarantor.

a person to whom a guarantee is made.

verb (used with object), guar·an·teed, guar·an·tee·ing.

to secure, as by giving or taking security: A credit card guarantees your reservation at the hotel.

to make oneself answerable for (something) on behalf of someone else who is primarily responsible: to guarantee the fulfillment of a contract.

to undertake to ensure for another, as rights or possessions: The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

to serve as a warrant or guaranty for.

to undertake to protect or indemnify: to guarantee a person against loss.

to undertake (to do something): I will guarantee to prove every word I stated.

to promise (usually followed by a clause as object): I guarantee that I'll be there.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of guarantee

First recorded in 1670–80; alteration of guaranty

OTHER WORDS FROM guarantee

non·guar·an·tee, nounpre·guar·an·tee, noun, verb (used with object), pre·guar·an·teed, pre·guar·an·tee·ing.qua·si-guar·an·teed, adjectivere·guar·an·tee, noun, verb (used with object), re·guar·an·teed, re·guar·an·tee·ing.

su·per·guar·an·tee, noun, verb, su·per·guar·an·teed, su·per·guar·an·tee·ing.un·guar·an·teed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH guarantee

guarantee , guaranty, warrantee, warranty

Words nearby guarantee

Guaporé, guar, guaracha, guarana, guarani, guarantee, guaranteed annual income, guaranteed annual wage, guaranteed bond, guaranteed stock, guarantor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT GUARANTEE

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.

Where does guarantee come from?

The first records of the term guarantee come from the 1670s. It ultimately comes from the Old French guarant, meaning “to warrant.”

Guarantee can be used as a synonym for promise but will often be used to exaggerate the meaningfulness or likelihood of the promise actually being fulfilled. If someone says I guarantee I will be there on time, they are emphasizing the fact that they will do what they say.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to guarantee?

nonguarantee (noun)
preguarantee (noun, verb)
guaranteed (adjective, verb)
unguaranteed (adjective)

What are some synonyms for guarantee?

What are some words that share a root or word element with guarantee?

What are some words that often get used in discussing guarantee?

What are some words guarantee may be commonly confused with?

guaranty

How is guarantee used in real life?

Guarantees are often offered in legal situations, insurance policies, and for the marketing of products, all of which have different specific meanings.

Thank you all so much for an incredible weekend! Can guarantee I won't be forgetting this one! Thank you Ireland !

— Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial) May 26, 2014

Even if you hate me, I can guarantee you sing every word of happier when it comes on

— marshmello (@marshmello) February 6, 2019

I can guarantee, your email is not finding me well

— Adriana Lacy (@Adriana_Lacy) April 23, 2020

Try using guarantee!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for guarantee?

A. uncertainty
B. warranty
C. contract
D. agreement

How to use guarantee in a sentence

Without independent fact-checking, there is no guarantee that what GPT-3 says, even if it “sounds right,” is actually true.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
This caused tension with Outbrain, which didn’t pull away from its existing guarantee deals, according to a person familiar with the company.
Why the Taboola-Outbrain deal fell apart and what it means for publishers|Lara O'Reilly|September 9, 2020|Digiday
So there is the risk that anyone could come in, and there is not guarantee.
Public, a stock trading app, gets a seven-figure check from Scott Galloway|Lucinda Shen|August 25, 2020|Fortune
So he took another big risk, choosing not only to transfer but to do so with no guarantee that the football team would take him.
When Baker Mayfield Was a Walk-On|Nick Fouriezos|August 14, 2020|Ozy

It has come amid a wave of claims by federal lawmakers who are pushing for a probe into China’s lending practices to Nigeria, in the wake of a sovereign guarantee clause in loan agreements that has been erroneously interpreted.
Misinformation and politics are fueling fears of a Chinese debt trap in Nigeria|Yomi Kazeem|August 10, 2020|Quartz
Yazbek tells The Daily Beast that the traffickers guarantee their service, and they treat the Syrian refugees with respect.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But inspiration and faith-based agenda in movies does not guarantee box office success.
Are You There, God? It’s Nicolas Cage and the Year in Cinematically Pimped Religion|Matthew Paul Turner|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet race politics has limited appeal to whites, and ultimately may not guarantee keeping many minority voters in check.
Time to Bring Back the Truman Democrats|Joel Kotkin|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But even if the promised money does finally arrive, there is scant guarantee it will be used appropriately.
Madonna, Carla Bruni & Obama Abandoned Pledges To Rebuild L'Aquila After The Quake|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But among ferocious ideologues, similar roots are no guarantee of mutual sympathy when schisms occur.
ISIS and Al Qaeda Ready to Gang Up on Obama's Rebels|Jamie Dettmer|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He appeared before the shareholders, offered, if his advice and methods were adopted, to guarantee double the then dividend.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Peremptorily the steel magnates refused to continue the sliding scale previously agreed upon as a guarantee of peace.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
Will you take your hands off—if we give you your railroad and guarantee train service?
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
Yet he was able, at the end of another two weeks, to guarantee six votes less than a majority.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
"Sufficient guarantee," said her father, smiling archly as he looked up to his son, whose fair face had coloured deep red.
The Daisy Chain|Charlotte Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for guarantee

guarantee

/ (ˌɡærənˈtiː) /

noun

a formal assurance, esp in writing, that a product, service, etc, will meet certain standards or specifications

law a promise, esp a collateral agreement, to answer for the debt, default, or miscarriage of another

a person, company, etc, to whom a guarantee is made
a person, company, etc, who gives a guarantee

a person who acts as a guarantor

something that makes a specified condition or outcome certain

a variant spelling of guaranty

verb -tees, -teeing or -teed (mainly tr)

(also tr) to take responsibility for (someone else's debts, obligations, etc)

to serve as a guarantee for

to secure or furnish security fora small deposit will guarantee any dress

(usually foll by from or against) to undertake to protect or keep secure, as against injury, loss, etc

to ensuregood planning will guarantee success

(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to promise or make certain

Word Origin for guarantee

C17: perhaps from Spanish garante or French garant, of Germanic origin; compare warrant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

guarantee

Origin of guarantee

OTHER WORDS FROM guarantee

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH guarantee

Words nearby guarantee

MORE ABOUT GUARANTEE

What does guarantee mean?

Where does guarantee come from?

Did you know … ?

How is guarantee used in real life?

Try using guarantee!

Words related to guarantee

How to use guarantee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guarantee

Word Origin for guarantee