guarantor
Americannoun
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guarantors
plural
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a person, group, system, etc., that guarantees.
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a person who makes or gives a guarantee, guaranty, warrant, etc.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing guarantor
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:
After all, as the world’s dominant superpower and guarantor of security for dozens of countries over the past 80 years, America’s influence on the planet has been overwhelming.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
He was their guarantor, their friend, their emergency contact, and his Parkwood home was listed as their current address.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Under a residual-value backstop, a guarantor such as Nvidia agrees to make up the difference if the value of a given asset backing a loan falls below a certain floor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
De Becker said he remains a guarantor of the business, meaning he’s on the hook if anything goes wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Jack, the household’s protector, its guarantor of tranquillity, was relied on to take the long view.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
We ended up relying on our parents to be guarantors so we could get approved for a Brooklyn apartment.
From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026
Iran has suggested to mediators that China or Russia could act as guarantors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
"We have home-grown low-carbon energy sources: nuclear and renewables. And together, they can become the joint guarantors of independence, security of supply, and competitiveness -- if we get it right."
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
A peace agreement whose signatories and guarantors include not just Ukraine and Russia but also the United States, Europe, and China would be significant.
From Slate ● Mar. 19, 2025
Dr. King was equally clear that future riots are not inevitable: “Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
