guarantee
Americannoun
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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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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:
"It's not a guarantee that a court will strike this down and even if they do, it'll take a little while," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
These lenders “have a responsibility to be responsive, communicate clearly, and guarantee that the rebuilding process is not slowed by unnecessary administrative barriers,” Harabedian said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
A surge of share sales doesn’t guarantee a stock slump, of course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
It does not guarantee the Atlantic will behave as scientists hope.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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
We will all make the decision about when to claim, if we are fortunate enough to live that long — and there are no guarantees of that either — when the time comes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Workers want to lift the retirement age by five years to 65, on top of other job-security guarantees related to AI adoption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
"England fans deserve the chance to watch every minute of the quarter-final together, and that is exactly what our extension guarantees," said Policing Minister Sarah Jones.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
But these views deserve no weight in interpreting the amendments’ transformative guarantees.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
I tell him I can’t make any guarantees, but I’ll try.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
At the precipice of the financial crisis, the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with their implicit government guarantee and imprimatur, either securitized or guaranteed roughly half of all mortgages in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
But it’s still incredibly delicious and guaranteed to satisfy your cravings.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
That higher benefit is intended to provide greater guaranteed lifetime income.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
He seems guaranteed to win his third Golden Ball, which goes to the tournament’s outstanding player.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The recipe was guaranteed not to fail by the company which made the shortening.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Activists say they applaud foreign exhibitions of heritage treasures — as long as laws guaranteeing their return are followed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Micron secured 16 long-term supply deals, guaranteeing approximately $100 billion in revenue and ensuring gross margins well above past peaks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
OpenAI just took a step closer to going public, potentially setting up 2026 to be a record-breaking year for IPOs — though the company isn’t guaranteeing it’ll conduct an offering anytime soon.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
Sierra Leone has no national policy guaranteeing free sanitary products in schools - unlike Kenya, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.
From BBC ● May 17, 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.
