search warrant

American  

noun

Law.

search warrants plural

1. a court order authorizing the examination of a dwelling or other private premises by police officials, as for stolen goods.

---

search warrant British  

noun

1. a written order issued by a justice of the peace authorizing a constable or other officer to enter and search premises for stolen goods, drugs, etc

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• search warrants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of search warrant

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

search warrant

FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter, Hannah Natanson, earlier this year as part of an investigation into alleged mishandling of classified information by a government contractor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Marshals Service early Friday morning to serve a search warrant at a home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and arrest the suspect.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Trash, we learn, is no longer private once it hits the curb: Sidewalks are public enough that no search warrant is needed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokesperson, said FBI agents are serving a search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation into the Garden Grove aerospace business.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

It's when she says that the social worker could be back in an hour with a search warrant to tear the house apart.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

Related Words

• summons