vouch

American  

[vouch] / vaʊtʃ /

verb (used without object)

vouches, present (3rd person singular) vouched, past participle, past vouching present participle

1. to support as being true, certain, reliable, etc. (usually followed byfor ).

   Her record in office vouches for her integrity.

2. to attest; guarantee; certify (usually followed byfor ).

   to vouch for someone in a business transaction.

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verb (used with object)

vouches, present (3rd person singular) vouched, past participle, past vouching present participle

1. to sustain or uphold by, or as if by, practical proof or demonstration.

2. (formerly) to call or summon (a person) into court to make good a warranty of title.

3. to adduce or quote in support, as extracts from a book or author; cite in warrant or justification, as authority, instances, facts, etc.

4. Archaic. to warrant or attest; to support or authenticate with vouchers.

5. Archaic. to declare as with warrant; vouch for.

6. Obsolete. to call or take as a witness.

noun

Obsolete.

1. a vouching; an assertion.

2. a formal attestation; a supporting warrant.

vouch British  

/ vaʊtʃ /

verb

1. to give personal assurance; guarantee

   I'll vouch for his safety

2. to furnish supporting evidence (for) or function as proof (of)

3. (tr) English legal history to summon (a person who had warranted title to land) to defend that title or give up land of equal value

4. archaic (tr) to cite (authors, principles, etc) in support of something

5. obsolete (tr) to assert

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noun

1. obsolete the act of vouching; assertion or allegation

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unvouched
  adjective
• well-vouched
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• vouching
  present
• vouched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• vouch
  simple
• vouches
  simple
• have vouched
  perfect
• has vouched
  perfect
• am vouching
  progressive
• are vouching
  progressive
• is vouching
  progressive
• have been vouching
  perfect progressive
• has been vouching
  perfect progressive

Past

• vouched
  simple
• had vouched
  perfect
• was vouching
  progressive
• were vouching
  progressive
• had been vouching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will vouch
  simple
• will have vouched
  perfect
• will be vouching
  progressive
• will have been vouching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of vouch

1275–1325; Middle English vouchen < Anglo-French, Middle French vo ( u ) cher, Old French avochier < Latin advocāre; see advocate

Explanation

If you vouch for someone, you provide evidence or guarantee something on their behalf. If you vouch for your brother, you're saying he's a stand-up type of guy. First used in the 14th century, vouch comes from the Latin vocitare, ("to call, call upon, or summon"). Sometimes it can mean offering supporting evidence, as when, for example, you're summoned to court to testify on someone's behalf. If you write a letter of recommendation for a student or co-worker, you vouch for their character and abilities. If you take out a student loan, the government will automatically vouch for you, that is, they'll guarantee the loan will be repaid.

Example Sentences

Fifa shot back directly, stating that its official platform is the only guaranteed sales channel and that it cannot vouch for tickets bought via third parties.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

Just as important as recognizing interdisciplinary connections for herself was building a network of people who would vouch for her.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

It’s hard to find an eyewitness or reliable third party who can vouch for what took place between people behind closed doors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

I use Claude, ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini every day, and I can vouch for the truth in the Claude warning.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Whenever an overzealous policeman arrested him despite the note, the principal had to personally call the police station and vouch that he was indeed a student.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane