warrant
Americannoun
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warrants
plural
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authorization, sanction, or justification.
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something that serves to give reliable or formal assurance of something; guarantee, pledge, or security.
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something considered as having the force of a guarantee or as being positive assurance of a thing.
The cavalry and artillery were considered sure warrants of success.
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a writing or document certifying or authorizing something, as a receipt, license, or commission.
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Law. an instrument, issued by a magistrate, authorizing an officer to make an arrest, seize property, make a search, or carry a judgment into execution.
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the certificate of authority or appointment issued to an officer of the armed forces below the rank of a commissioned officer.
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a warehouse receipt.
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a written authorization for the payment or receipt of money.
a treasury warrant.
verb (used with object)
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warrants,
present (3rd person singular)
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warranted,
past participle, past
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warranting
present participle
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to give authority to; authorize.
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to give reason or sanction for; account for.
The circumstances warrant such measures.
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to give one's word for; vouch for (often used with a clause to emphasize something asserted).
I'll warrant he did!
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to give a formal assurance, or a guarantee or promise, to or for; guarantee.
to warrant someone honorable treatment; to warrant payment; to warrant safe delivery.
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to guarantee the quantity, quality, and other representations of (an article, product, etc.), as to a purchaser.
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to guarantee or secure title to (the purchaser of goods); assure indemnification against loss to.
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Law. to guarantee title of an estate or other granted property (to a grantee).
noun
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anything that gives authority for an action or decision; authorization; sanction
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a document that certifies or guarantees, such as a receipt for goods stored in a warehouse, a licence, or a commission
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law an authorization issued by a magistrate or other official allowing a constable or other officer to search or seize property, arrest a person, or perform some other specified act
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(in certain armed services) the official authority for the appointment of warrant officers
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a security that functions as a stock option by giving the owner the right to buy ordinary shares in a company at a specified date, often at a specified price
verb
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to guarantee the quality, condition, etc, of (something)
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to give authority or power to
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to attest to or assure the character, worthiness, etc, of
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to guarantee (a purchaser of merchandise) against loss of, damage to, or misrepresentation concerning the merchandise
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law to guarantee (the title to an estate or other property)
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to declare boldly and confidently
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prewarrantnoun
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warrantabilitynoun
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warranternoun
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rewarrantverb (used with object)
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self-warrantingadjective
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warrantableadjective
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warrantlessadjective
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warrantablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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warrantsimple
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warrantssimple
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have warrantedperfect
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has warrantedperfect
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am warrantingprogressive
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are warrantingprogressive
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is warrantingprogressive
-
have been warrantingperfect progressive
-
has been warrantingperfect progressive
Past
-
warrantedsimple
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had warrantedperfect
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was warrantingprogressive
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were warrantingprogressive
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had been warrantingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of warrant
First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English warant, from Anglo-French; Old French guarant, from Germanic; compare Middle Low German warend, warent “warranty,” noun use of present participle of waren “to warrant”; (verb) Middle English, from Anglo-French warantir; Old French g(u)arantir, derivative of guarant; see guaranty
Explanation
If you watch cop shows, you know that a warrant is something police need to get into your house — a permission slip from a judge. It's a noun! It's a verb! It's a word that warrants our attention! As a noun, it's the piece of paper they show you through the keyhole during an investigation. It's also a reason for doing something, or a promise (think of the warranty on your new car, the promise that it'll work for a certain amount of time). As a verb, it means to make something seem reasonable or necessary, such as when the ticking suitcase warrants bringing in the bomb squad, or when the teenager's sneaking in late again warrants a stricter curfew.
Vocabulary lists containing warrant
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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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:
A DHS spokesperson said agencies become eligible for reimbursement only after an ICE-directed enforcement action, such as an apprehension or serving a warrant, and they must show “continued performance” to receive quarterly funding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Backers say it closes a loophole in existing law by stating that animals seized by police officers or animal control officers without a warrant can be deemed abandoned after a 14-day period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
His speech occurred while an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes is in effect.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Part of the warrant, representing around 2% of Akamai’s outstanding shares, is expected to vest in connection with the Thursday announcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
“The sheriff had appeared with a warrant in hand. I found myself under suspicion of murder. It seemed to me best not to say anything. To wait until I . . . had a lawyer.”
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Anthropic is getting warrants — derivatives allowing but not requiring it to buy stock at a future date — as part of the deal.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
“We coordinated with Upland so that we were serving the search warrants on the same day, same time,” she said, adding that it was done to ensure the safety of all animals at every property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Based on these findings, the researchers suggest that CS18 warrants further development as a possible component of combination cancer therapies.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Detectives have obtained warrants of further detention for both men, meaning they can remain in police custody until 27 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
An officer left the War Department and delivered death warrants to the defendants Mary Surratt, David Herold, George Atzerodt, and Lewis Powell.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
The attorney general will, if warranted, prosecute any offences found by her investigation and present evidence to a grand jury, the governor said.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Educator Kendall C. Peacock posted a video on Instagram asking followers whether a boycott of the brand was warranted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Neither Lisbet nor Mihai can exhibit too much passion or zealotry, too much unjust anger or warranted affection.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The assumption is that elected officials facing voters will always prefer lower rates than may be warranted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
We felt that this slight break in protocol was warranted but in no way prejudicial—in one way or another—to the application review.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
They write: "These findings suggest that chronic PDE5 inhibition may influence ocular physiology, warranting further mechanistic investigation."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
The board, in a unanimous order Monday, wrote that Whole Foods had raised “no substantial issues warranting review” of the election certification.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Each of these names is demonstrating renewed momentum, warranting a fresh look from investors seeking potential upside in sectors where leadership has already rotated.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
The motion, reviewed by The Times, is addressed to Judge Arun Subramanian and claims “there are exceptional circumstances warranting a departure from mandatory detention and ensuring that Sean Combs is released.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2025
There's nothing in the text warranting that illusion, which is nevertheless112 to me a part of the Iliad; a most charming part, too.
From The Letters of Ambrose Bierce With a Memoir by George Sterling by Ambrose Bierce
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.
