vouch

verb \ ˈvau̇ch \

Definition of vouch

intransitive verb

1 a :to supply supporting evidence or testimony

b :to give personal assurance

2 :to give a guarantee :become surety

transitive verb

1 :to summon into court to warrant or defend a title

2 a :prove, substantiate

b :to verify (a business transaction) by examining documentary evidence

3 archaic

a :assert, affirm

b :attest

4 archaic :to cite or refer to as authority or supporting evidence

See vouch defined for English-language learners

See vouch defined for kids

Recent Examples of vouch from the Web

Some opioid drugmakers, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit, are standing firm by vouching for the safety of their drugs.

— jef feeley, Bloomberg.com, "Big Pharma's Tobacco Moment as Star Lawyers Push Opioid Suits," 15 Aug. 2017
That means the auditor broadly vouched for Toshiba's book-keeping.

— reuters, Fortune, "Toshiba Avoids Delisting For Now as Its Auditor Signs Off on Earnings," 10 Aug. 2017
Owner Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett both vouched for him after getting nothing but positive feedback from his college coaches.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Jourdan Lewis ready to move forward from domestic violence case," 27 July 2017
Way back in 2016, a coalition of reputable, fair-minded education reformers — some of them Democrats — got together to vouch for her.

— lisa miller, Daily Intelligencer, "Who Is Betsy DeVos?," 25 July 2017
Kyle O'Quinn vouched for his Knicks teammate Kristaps Porzingis during Sports Illustrated's live NBA draft show on Thursday, calling him a professional and downplaying the controversy over the forward's decision to skip his exit interview.

— stanley kay, SI.com, "Kyle O'Quinn vouches for Knicks teammate Porzingis amid exit interview controversy," 23 June 2017
Vatanen said, vouching for the wisdom of simple fans.

— mark whicker, Orange County Register, "Whicker: Ducks, Nick Ritchie finding holes in Pekka Rinne’s game," 22 June 2017
In the middle of a contentious battle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination last July, Eric Greitens took a break from the campaign trail to vouch for his friend Pat Rowe Kerr.

— jason hancock, kansascity, "With job discrimination bill on his desk, Gov. Greitens gets a personal plea: Veto it," 13 June 2017
Bailey heard from numerous friends and family members of Gayoso who vouched for her kindness, and defense lawyer Jose Reyes said it should be noted that whatever crime took place was not committed intentionally.

— rafael olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Woman sentenced to 5 years for 'water intoxication' death of child," 5 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vouch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vouch

Middle English vochen, vouchen, from Anglo-French voucher to call, vouch, from Latin vocare to call, summon, from vox voice — more at voice

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of vouch

certify, attest, witness, vouch mean to testify to the truth or genuineness of something. certify usually applies to a written statement, especially one carrying a signature or seal.

- certified that the candidate had met all requirements

attest applies to oral or written testimony usually from experts or witnesses.

- attested to the authenticity of the document

witness applies to the subscribing of one's own name to a document as evidence of its genuineness.

- witnessed the signing of the will

vouch applies to one who testifies as a competent authority or a reliable person.

- willing to vouch for her integrity

vouch

noun

Definition of vouch

obsolete

:allegation, declaration

First Known Use of vouch

1603

VOUCH Defined for Kids

vouch

verb \ ˈvau̇ch \

Definition of vouch for Students

vouched; vouching

:to give a guarantee

The teacher vouched for their honesty.

Law Dictionary

vouch

verb \ ˈvau̇ch \

legal Definition of vouch

transitive verb

1 :to summon into court

2 :to verify (a business transaction) by examining documentary evidence

intransitive verb

1 :to become surety

2 a :to supply supporting evidence or testimony

b :to give personal assurance

Origin and Etymology of vouch

Anglo-French voucher to call, summon, summon to court as guarantor of a title, ultimately from Latin vocare to call, summon

Learn More about vouch

See words that rhyme with vouch Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vouch Spanish Central: Translation of vouch Nglish: Translation of vouch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vouch for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up vouch? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

vouch

Definition of vouch

Read the Latest from M-W

Recent Examples of vouch from the Web

Origin and Etymology of vouch

Synonym Discussion of vouch

vouch

Definition of vouch

First Known Use of vouch

Phrases Related to VOUCH

Related Phrases

VOUCH Defined for Kids

vouch

Definition of vouch for Students

Law Dictionary

vouch

legal Definition of vouch

Origin and Etymology of vouch

Learn More about vouch

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066