guarantee
Americannoun
-
guarantees
plural
-
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.
-
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)
-
guarantees,
present (3rd person singular)
-
guaranteed,
past participle, past
-
guaranteeing
present participle
-
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.
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
-
(also tr) to take responsibility for (someone else's debts, obligations, etc)
-
to serve as a guarantee for
-
to secure or furnish security for
a small deposit will guarantee any dress
-
to undertake to protect or keep secure, as against injury, loss, etc
-
to ensure
good planning will guarantee success
-
(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
-
nonguaranteenoun
-
preguaranteenoun
-
reguaranteenoun
-
superguaranteenoun
-
quasi-guaranteedadjective
-
unguaranteedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
guaranteesimple
-
guaranteessimple
-
have guaranteedperfect
-
has guaranteedperfect
-
am guaranteeingprogressive
-
are guaranteeingprogressive
-
is guaranteeingprogressive
-
have been guaranteeingperfect progressive
-
has been guaranteeingperfect progressive
Past
-
guaranteedsimple
-
had guaranteedperfect
-
was guaranteeingprogressive
-
were guaranteeingprogressive
-
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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Frindle
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Constitution"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Fame may get you through the door, but it does not guarantee staying power.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
One big reason Arya isn’t sweating Nvidia’s decision to guarantee OpenAI’s leases lies in the details of the SEC filing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
They added that as "two French representatives directly witnessed part of these events" Paris should "fully establish the circumstances of these arrests" and "take every necessary step to guarantee their rights, safety and release".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“If we do win this battle, what’s going to guarantee us that they’re going to keep it open for many years down the line?” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
This would guarantee sales for the drug companies and motivate them to produce the drugs at cheap prices.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
But Charter executives have discussed exiting that relationship, which guarantees the team about $200 million a year in revenue, according to people familiar with the company’s plans who were not authorized to comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Sydney has dominated this season, currently placing second on the ladder which guarantees them a spot in the qualifying and elimination finals' round that begins in two weeks.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
She noted that Europe had long benefitted from "three pillars" -- a rules-based global order underpinned by US security guarantees, cheap energy and expanding global trade.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Previous reports suggested Nvidia could provide $250 billion in guarantees for a 10-gigawatt data center.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Yes, without guarantees, once free I could probably use my abilities to shed light on the location of your grandfather.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
The year before they had published “I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqueline Harpman, a Belgian novelist who died 20 years before — hardly a guaranteed success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
JG Leadwork and Roofing, a U.K.-based repair company, says insurance company approval is never guaranteed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
They called for the two designers to have access to an independent lawyer and for their "safety and fundamental rights to be guaranteed".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
This was already guaranteed to be a summer of huge upheaval at City with legendary boss Pep Guardiola leaving after 10 years in charge.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
It was the safest place I could think of to go—I wouldn’t run into anyone from Mount Pitts, and I was guaranteed a good selection at a low cost.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a pivotal role by buying up mortgages and packaging them to sell to investors, guaranteeing the investors payments even if borrowers default.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
It's not until 2030 that it seeks to achieve its mission of guaranteeing every young person a clear path to good jobs.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
Perhaps the most striking number from the report was 16—that’s the number of long-term supply deals Micron has locked in, guaranteeing approximately $100 billion in revenue.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
They had lost to the Rebels and instead of winning the district championship and guaranteeing themselves a trip to the playoffs, there might be only one game left in the season.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
