guarantee

1 of 2

noun

guar·​an·​tee ˌger-ən-ˈtē How to pronounce guarantee (audio)
ˌgär-,
ˌga-rən-,
 also  ˈger-ən-ˌtē,
or
ˈgär-ən- How to pronounce guarantee (audio) ˈga-rən- How to pronounce guarantee (audio)
1
2
3
: an assurance for the fulfillment of a condition: such as
a
: an agreement by which one person undertakes to secure another in the possession or enjoyment of something
b
: an assurance of the quality of or of the length of use to be expected from a product offered for sale often with a promise of reimbursement
The washer comes with a guarantee against major defects.
4

guarantee

2 of 2

verb

guaranteed; guaranteeing; guarantees

transitive verb

1
: to undertake to answer for the debt, default, or miscarriage of
guarantee a loan
2
: to engage for the existence, permanence, or nature of : undertake to do or secure
guarantee the winning of three tricks
3
: to give security to
guaranteed her against loss
4
: to assert confidently
I guarantee you'll like it

Examples of guarantee in a Sentence

Noun And as key pieces of the infrastructure are knocked out, there is no guarantee that they will be repaired or rebuilt, at least not as they were before. Naomi Klein, Harper's, October 2007
It might be no bad thing if the Constitution's guarantee of "equal protection of the laws" was interpreted to outlaw the vagaries of voting … Michael Kinsley, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2006
Collecting can be a sort of love-sickness. If you begin collecting living things, … even if you manage to find them and then possess them, there is no guarantee they won't die or change. Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 1995
The washer comes with a guarantee against major defects. They wanted a guarantee that the document was authentic. They want the new contract to include a guarantee of job security. The U.S. Constitution includes guarantees against unreasonable searches. He cited the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Verb They're called change agents. They swoop in to transform stodgy institutions …  . It's a risky tack, one that guarantees large numbers of people will hate the boss's guts. Daniel McGinn, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2005
For an incumbent President …  . The power of the office and the media coverage its holder is guaranteed for just doing his job generally give him the luxury of staying above the fray. Joe Klein, Time, 22 Mar. 2004
Voucher plans were adopted largely as a last resort, an effort to guarantee a semblance of school choice for low-income minority students in failing inner-city schools. Jeffrey Rosen, New Republic, 18 Mar. 2002
The washer is guaranteed against defects for one year. They guarantee that the diamonds they sell are top quality. He offered to personally guarantee the loan. The investment was guaranteed by the bank. I guarantee that you'll be satisfied. He guaranteed us that everything would go according to plan. Money doesn't guarantee a happy life. He guaranteed a victory in the championship game.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Pac-12 seeking return to Final Four While an advantage unique to women’s basketball, hosting NCAA games is no guarantee of making the Sweet 16, let alone reaching the Final Four. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 The reason is clear: Tesla’s ability to grow at the furious pace that its expensive valuation promises is no longer a guarantee. Esha Dey, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 There is no guarantee they would be assigned again to a hotel, much less a location that is part of the pilot a second time, Fowler said. Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 There is no guarantee that member states will endorse the recommendation as separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who is pro-Russia, continues to undermine the presidency and other political functions in the country. Samuel Petrequin, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 That same month, about 200 police officers drove through Paris atop buses to demand guarantees from the government on bonuses and time-off compensation during the Games, Le Parisien reported. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 While the perils of higher education are becoming a wider part of the conversation, namely its lack of guarantee and exorbitant cost (particularly in America), solid academic preparation for the future is still often a ticket to a more expansive life. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Of course, bold reinvention on its own guarantees nothing. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 Signed in October between the Venezuelan government and the Unitary Platform—an opposition alliance—the deal included a series of guarantees for the presidential race this year. Elias Ferrer, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Hébert was among those lobbying in the days after the failure for a bailout, arguing that if the government didn’t step in to guarantee deposits, the concerns would spread and could trigger failures at other regional banks. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The commission could follow up with a more in-depth investigation, but it's not guaranteed. Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress also faces DSA scrutiny. Kelvin Chan, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 All high schools must offer College Core diplomas Starting next school year all Indiana high schools will have to offer the College Core certificate which is received when students earn 30 credit hours of college-level work that is guaranteed to transfer to any Indiana public college or university. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 Make sure to add items to your cart and check out quickly to guarantee shipping. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Gavin Stone, still not guaranteed to make the roster as one of two front-runners for the No. 5 rotation spot, perked up his ears at the possibility of getting some drives in during his first international trip. Noah Furtado, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 While a light show is never guaranteed, this area close to the Earth's northern pole boasts the highest probability of catching aurora activity. Paul Rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2024 Floyd, 31, is guaranteed $12 million this season, and the deal could max out at $24 million. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 The starting lineup already was guaranteed to include plenty of new faces with only three returners on offense and four on defense. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guarantee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably alteration of guaranty entry 1

Verb

derivative of guarantee entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guarantee was in 1680

Dictionary Entries Near guarantee

Cite this Entry

“Guarantee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guarantee. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

guarantee

1 of 2 noun
guar·​an·​tee ˌgar-ən-ˈtē How to pronounce guarantee (audio)
ˌgär-
1
2
: an agreement by which a person or firm guarantees something
3
: something given as security : pledge

guarantee

2 of 2 verb
guaranteed; guaranteeing
1
: to promise to answer for the debt, failure to perform, or faulty performance of another
2
: to promise that some condition holds or will be fulfilled
guarantee a car against defects for one year
guaranteed annual wage
3
: to give security : secure

Legal Definition

guarantee

noun
guar·​an·​tee ˌgar-ən-ˈtē, ˌgär- How to pronounce guarantee (audio)
1
2
3
: an assurance that a condition will be fulfilled: as
a
: an agreement by which one person undertakes to secure another in the possession or enjoyment of something
b
: an assurance of the quality or of the length of use to be expected from a product offered for sale often with a promise of reimbursement
4
: guaranty sense 4, 5
constitutional guarantees
guarantee transitive verb
Etymology

Noun

probably alteration of guaranty

More from Merriam-Webster on guarantee

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