warranty

American  

[wawr-uhn-tee, wor-, wawr-uhn-tee, wor-] / ˈwɔr ən ti, ˈwɒr-, ˌwɔr ənˈti, ˌwɒr- /

noun

plural

warranties

1. an act or an instance of warranting; assurance; authorization; warrant.

2. Law.

   1. a stipulation, explicit or implied, in assurance of some particular in connection with a contract, as of sale.

      an express warranty of the quality of goods.

   2. Also called covenant of warranty.  a covenant in a deed to land by which the party conveying assures the grantee that they will enjoy the premises free from interference by any person claiming under a superior title.

   3. (in the law of insurance) a statement or promise, made by the party insured, and included as an essential part of the contract, falsity or nonfulfillment of which renders the policy void.

   4. a judicial document, as a warrant or writ.

3. a written guarantee given to the purchaser of a new appliance, automobile, or other item by the manufacturer or dealer, usually specifying that the manufacturer will make any repairs or replace defective parts free of charge for a stated period of time.

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verb (used with object)

warrantied, warrantying

1. to provide a manufacturer's or dealer's warranty for.

   The automaker warranties its new cars against exterior rust.

warranty British  

/ ˈwɒrəntɪ /

noun

1. property law a covenant, express or implied, by which the vendor of real property vouches for the security of the title conveyed

2. contract law an express or implied term in a contract, such as an undertaking that goods contracted to be sold shall meet specified requirements as to quality, etc

   an extended warranty

3. insurance law an undertaking by the party insured that the facts given regarding the risk are as stated

4. the act of warranting

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warranty Cultural  

1. A guarantee of the quality of a product or service made by the seller to the buyer.

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Etymology

Origin of warranty

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English waranti(e), warraunte, from Anglo-French, Old French war(r)antie, variant of Old French guarantie ); see warrant, -y ³

Explanation

Most cars and toys come with a warranty, a written guarantee that the product will not fail within a certain amount of time. If it does, the manufacturer will repair or replace it for free. Many people talk about the way appliances break the day after their warranty expires. The word itself is a Middle English variant on the word, guarantee. Both words mean similar things, but warranty is more specific. I can guarantee you that I will pick you up by seven so we can get to the game on time, but I would not issue a warranty about it.

Example Sentences

Warranty expenses for Ford in 2024 were almost 4% of sales, one percentage point higher than General Motors’ 3%.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

She decided to pay monthly to upgrade her standard warranty from Cazoo to an extended one with The Warranty Group.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2024

These include “rulemaking to declare certain types of repair restrictions illegal” and stepping up enforcement of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2021

Warranty plans protect against things that will happen, like oven and air conditioner breakdowns.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2021

Presently my father took out of his breast pocket an imposing "Warranty Deed," and fixed his eyes upon it and dropped into meditation.

From The Curious Republic of Gondour, and Other Whimsical Sketches by Twain, Mark

Related Words

• certificate