guar·an·tee
ˌger-ən-ˈtē 
ˈga-rən-
ˌgär-,
ˌga-rən-,
also ˈger-ən-ˌtē,
or
ˈgär-ən-
ˈga-rən-
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
guaranteed; guaranteeing; guarantees
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
Synonyms
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.
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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.
See More
Recent Examples on the WebOmari Daniels, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
The decision caused an outcry among some faculty members, who see it as an attack on academic freedom and the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech, which public universities like Hunter — part of the City University of New York — are required to uphold.
—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
However, there’s no guarantee the request for an appeal will be granted — or that the state’s highest court will accept the case.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023
Photo: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg News American cloud providers, under pressure from European customers and regulators, are offering data-security guarantees that go beyond strict local privacy rules.
—Catherine Stupp, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
The promo was originally announced last week by ESPN reporter Adam Schefter but the deal was not a guarantee.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
Like most Lululemon products, it’s backed with a quality guarantee that gives you peace of mind in case there are any manufacturing defects over time.
—Joe Niehaus, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2023
There's no guarantee that any of this is going to succeed, but Brett McGurk is going to travel there to try to move this forward.
—Nbc Universal, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023
The belief is that parents who already have a child (in a household with biological siblings) who is sick with one of these diseases have the greatest chance of finding a match with their baby's cord blood—although there's still no guarantee.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 12 Nov. 2023
Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
With the feather lining, you are guaranteed to stand out in a crowd.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
The justices read the law as not necessarily guaranteeing representation for people of color, but instead preventing their rights from returning to an earlier state.
—Nick Corasaniti, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
The Biden administration expects that Abigail Edan, a 3-year-old Israeli-American kidnapped by militants on Oct. 7 after her parents were killed in the surprise terror attack, would be among them, although it is not guaranteed, according to an official familiar with talks.
—Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
You’re pretty much guaranteed to find a gift for everyone on your list, so go ahead and kick off this year’s holiday season with the Black Friday sales that are up and running.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 21 Nov. 2023
The convergence of financial benefit and emotional clout all but guarantees that residential real estate markets will rebound after their recent slump.
—Miles S. Nadal, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023
From different takes on sweet potatoes to tangy fruit sauces, check out the best Thanksgiving side dishes — along with their recipes — that are guaranteed to please hungry dinner guests.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
The United States and select NATO members (a friends of Ukraine coalition of the willing) should commit not just to long-term economic and military help but also to guaranteeing Ukraine’s independence.
—Richard Haass and Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
At a Bloomingdale community meeting last month, Capt. Christopher Moore of the D.C. police cautioned residents that there is no guarantee Dunkley will be hospitalized long-term.
—Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
The decision caused an outcry among some faculty members, who see it as an attack on academic freedom and the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech, which public universities like Hunter — part of the City University of New York — are required to uphold.
—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
However, there’s no guarantee the request for an appeal will be granted — or that the state’s highest court will accept the case.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023
Photo: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg News American cloud providers, under pressure from European customers and regulators, are offering data-security guarantees that go beyond strict local privacy rules.
—Catherine Stupp, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
The promo was originally announced last week by ESPN reporter Adam Schefter but the deal was not a guarantee.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
Like most Lululemon products, it’s backed with a quality guarantee that gives you peace of mind in case there are any manufacturing defects over time.
—Joe Niehaus, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2023
There's no guarantee that any of this is going to succeed, but Brett McGurk is going to travel there to try to move this forward.
—Nbc Universal, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023
The belief is that parents who already have a child (in a household with biological siblings) who is sick with one of these diseases have the greatest chance of finding a match with their baby's cord blood—although there's still no guarantee.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 12 Nov. 2023
Verb
The union did not announce strike dates and such an action is not guaranteed to go forward, but the vote brings its members a step closer to a walkout that could affect a range of county facilities — not just the hospitals run by the county.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
With the feather lining, you are guaranteed to stand out in a crowd.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
The justices read the law as not necessarily guaranteeing representation for people of color, but instead preventing their rights from returning to an earlier state.
—Nick Corasaniti, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
The Biden administration expects that Abigail Edan, a 3-year-old Israeli-American kidnapped by militants on Oct. 7 after her parents were killed in the surprise terror attack, would be among them, although it is not guaranteed, according to an official familiar with talks.
—Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2023
You’re pretty much guaranteed to find a gift for everyone on your list, so go ahead and kick off this year’s holiday season with the Black Friday sales that are up and running.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 21 Nov. 2023
The convergence of financial benefit and emotional clout all but guarantees that residential real estate markets will rebound after their recent slump.
—Miles S. Nadal, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023
From different takes on sweet potatoes to tangy fruit sauces, check out the best Thanksgiving side dishes — along with their recipes — that are guaranteed to please hungry dinner guests.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
The United States and select NATO members (a friends of Ukraine coalition of the willing) should commit not just to long-term economic and military help but also to guaranteeing Ukraine’s independence.
—Richard Haass and Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing guarantee
Dictionary Entries Near guarantee
Cite this Entry
“Guarantee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guarantee. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
guarantee
1 of 2 noun
guar·an·tee
ˌgar-ən-ˈtē
ˌgär-
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-
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
Nglish: Translation of guarantee for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of guarantee for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about guarantee
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