guarantor

American  

[gar-uhn-tawr, -ter] / ˈgær ənˌtɔr, -tər /

noun

1. a person, group, system, etc., that guarantees.

2. a person who makes or gives a guarantee, guaranty, warrant, etc.

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guarantor British  

/ ˌɡærənˈtɔː /

noun

1. a person who gives or is bound by a guarantee or guaranty; surety

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Other Word Forms

• preguarantor
  noun

Etymology

Origin of guarantor

First recorded in 1850–55; guarant(ee) + -or ²

Explanation

A guarantor is a person who helps someone who's borrowing money by promising to pay it back to the lender if the borrower is unable to. Sometimes you also need a guarantor to rent an apartment. If you're young, don't have a regular job, have a bad credit score, or don't have much money in the bank, you may need a guarantor in order to get a loan from a bank. The job of the guarantor is to guarantee that the loan payments will be made — by them, if necessary. You can also use this word for people who make other guarantees: "The health department is a guarantor of food safety in our city's restaurants."

Example Sentences

Khamenei’s rule partly depended on being a guarantor of national security.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

South Carolina does not have filial-responsibility laws, and Maryland repealed its own law in 2017, meaning adult children are not responsible for their parents’ debts or care-home costs, unless they sign as a guarantor.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

They now see the need to lay the groundwork for the day when it might no longer be a reliable guarantor of their security.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026

"The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee," Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

Jack, the household’s protector, its guarantor of tranquillity, was relied on to take the long view.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

• backer
• underwriter