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
Volvo will celebrate its 100th anniversary in a few years and seems well-positioned for further success, which was not a guarantee as recently as the global economic crisis in 2008. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024 University of Arizona Current students under UA’s tuition guarantee program will not see tuition rises for eight semesters. The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for guarantee 

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 5 May. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!