warrant

noun

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war·rant | \ ˈwȯr-ənt

, ˈwär- \

Definition of warrant

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : sanction, authorization also : evidence for or token of authorization

(2) : guarantee, security

b(1) : ground, justification

(2) : confirmation, proof

2a : a commission or document giving authority to do something especially : a writing that authorizes a person to pay or deliver to another and the other to receive money or other consideration

b : a precept or writ issued by a competent magistrate authorizing an officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search or to do other acts incident to the administration of justice

c : an official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer

d(1) : a short-term obligation of a governmental body (such as a municipality) issued in anticipation of revenue

(2) : an instrument issued by a corporation giving to the holder the right to purchase the stock of the corporation at a stated price either prior to a stipulated date or at any future time

warrant

verb

warranted; warranting; warrants

Definition of warrant (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to declare or maintain with certainty : be sure that I'll warrant he'll be here by noon

b : to assure (a person) of the truth of what is said

2a : to guarantee to a person good title to and undisturbed possession of (something, such as an estate)

b : to provide a guarantee of the security of (something, such as title to property sold) usually by an express covenant in the deed of conveyance

c : to guarantee to be as represented

d : to guarantee (something, such as goods sold) especially in respect of the quality or quantity specified

3 : to guarantee security or immunity to : secure I'll warrant him from drowning— William Shakespeare

4 : to give warrant or sanction to : authorize the law warrants this procedure

5a : to give proof of the authenticity or truth of

b : to give assurance of the nature of or for the undertaking of : guarantee

6 : to serve as or give adequate ground or reason for promising enough to warrant further consideration

Other Words from warrant Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing warrant Learn More About warrant

Examples of warrant in a Sentence

Noun The police had a warrant for his arrest. There was no warrant for such behavior. Verb The writing was poor, but it hardly warrants that kind of insulting criticism. The punishment he received was not warranted.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Authorities issued an arrest warrant for military police officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo on suspicion of his involvement in the shooting. — Terrence Mccoy, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 Days after Petito's body was discovered, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest in relation to activities that occurred after Petito's death — not for her death itself. — Steve Helling, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2022 Officials issued an arrest warrant for him July 25, four days after the shooting. — Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 29 July 2022 Magistrate Mark Watson issued an arrest warrant Monday with orders to be held on a $5,000 cash bond. — Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2022 He was booked Thursday afternoon into the Multnomah County Detention Center after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest last week. — oregonlive, 15 July 2022 Edgar Ivan Galindo Diaz, 35, turned himself in to the California Highway Patrol’s Victorville office after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, according to the Victorville Daily Press. — Gregory Yeestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2022 Authorities, aware that Villalobos was no longer an Amherst resident, issued a warrant in all 50 states. — Camilo Fonseca, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2022 Investigators learned through a confidential source that the suspect was provided transportation to Newark Liberty International Airport on May 18, a day after Austin police officers issued a homicide warrant for her arrest, the U.S. Marshals said. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb It’s due to be decided by a jury at an undetermined date in the future, but Swift attorney Peter Anderson is arguing that further evidence shows the plaintiffs’ claims are baseless enough to not warrant a trial. — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Aug. 2022 But authorities released him after a day-and-a-half after determining that his threat was not specific enough to warrant further action, investigators have previously said. — Emma Tucker, CNN, 6 June 2022 The committee has reached the overall judgment that cigarette smoking is a health hazard of sufficient importance to the United States to warrant remedial action. — Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 25 Nov. 2021 As of Friday, conditions in Rhode Island did not warrant a statewide drought advisory, said Laura Hart, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Administration. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 15 July 2022 Diggins-Smith and the Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne also received a double technical in the fourth quarter, and Cunningham said their argument didn’t warrant a technical foul. — Chloe Peterson, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 But they can be found in many a malt that doesn’t warrant world-class distinction. — Brad Japhe, Forbes, 25 June 2022 The World Health Organization said the escalating monkeypox outbreak in more than 50 countries should be closely monitored but does not warrant being declared a global health emergency. — Washington Post, 25 June 2022 Officers didn’t arrest him at the time because the monetary value didn’t warrant a police presence. — Garfield Hylton, Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2022 See More

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

History and Etymology for warrant

Noun

Middle English waraunt protector, warrant, from Anglo-French warant, garant, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German werēnto guarantor, werēn to warrant; akin to Old High German wāra trust, care — more at very entry 2

Verb

Middle English, waranten to act as protector, guarantee, from Anglo-French warentir, garantir, from warant

Learn More About warrant

Dictionary Entries Near warrant

warrandice

warrant

warrantable

Statistics for warrant

Last Updated

10 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Warrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warrant. Accessed 13 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for warrant

warrant

noun

war·rant | \ ˈwȯr-ənt

Kids Definition of warrant

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a reason or cause for an opinion or action There is no warrant for such behavior.

2 : a document giving legal power "Hold that man," … "I have a warrant for his arrest."— Richard {amp} Florence Atwater, Mr. Popper's Penguins

warrant

verb

warranted; warranting

Kids Definition of warrant (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to be sure of or that I'll warrant they know the answer.

2 : guarantee entry 2 sense 1 The toaster is warranted for 90 days.

3 : to call for : justify The report warrants careful study.

warrant

noun

war·rant | \ ˈwȯr-ənt, ˈwär-

Legal Definition of warrant

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : warranty sense 2 an implied warrant of fitness

2 : a commission or document giving authority to do something: as

a : an order from one person (as an official) to another to pay public funds to a designated person

b : a writ issued especially by a judicial official (as a magistrate) authorizing an officer (as a sheriff) to perform a specified act required for the administration of justice a warrant of arrest by warrant of commitment

— administrative warrant

: a warrant (as for an administrative search) issued by a judge upon application of an administrative agency

— anticipatory search warrant

: a search warrant that is issued on the basis of an affidavit showing probable cause that there will be certain evidence at a specific location at a future time

— called also anticipatory warrant

— arrest warrant

: a warrant issued to a law enforcement officer ordering the officer to arrest and bring the person named in the warrant before the court or a magistrate

Note: A criminal arrest warrant must be issued based upon probable cause. Not all arrests require an arrest warrant.

— bench warrant

: a warrant issued by a judge for the arrest of a person who is in contempt of court or indicted

— death warrant

: a warrant issued to a warden or other prison official to carry out a sentence of death

— dispossessory warrant \ ˌdis-pə-ˈze-sə-rē- \

: a warrant issued to evict someone (as a lessee) from real property —used especially in Georgia

— distress warrant

: a warrant ordering the distress of property and specifying which items of property are to be distrained

— extradition warrant

: a warrant for the extradition of a fugitive specifically : rendition warrant in this entry

— fugitive warrant

: an arrest warrant issued in one jurisdiction for someone who is a fugitive from another jurisdiction

— called also fugitive from justice warrant

— general warrant

: a warrant that is unconstitutional because it fails to state with sufficient particularity the place or person to be searched or things to be seized

— material witness warrant

: a warrant issued for the arrest of a material witness to prevent the witness from fleeing without giving testimony

— no-knock search warrant

: a search warrant allowing law enforcement officers to enter premises without prior announcement in order to prevent destruction of evidence (as illegal drugs) or harm to the officers — compare exigent circumstances

— rendition warrant

: a warrant issued by an official (as a governor) in one jurisdiction (as a state) for the extradition of a fugitive in that jurisdiction to another that is requesting the extradition

— search warrant

: a warrant authorizing law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a place (as a house or vehicle) or person and usually also to seize evidence

— called also search and seizure warrant

Note: The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that a search warrant for a criminal investigation be issued only upon a showing of probable cause, as established usually by a sworn affidavit. The search warrant has to specify the premises and persons to be searched as well as what is being searched for. Not all searches require a search warrant. Warrantless searches are permitted when they are of a kind that the courts have found to be reasonable (as by being limited) or when they are prompted by a level of suspicion or belief (as reasonable suspicion or probable cause) that is consistent with the level of intrusion of the search. Some searches have been found to be so intrusive that a court hearing is required before the search is permitted.

3a : a short-term obligation of a governmental body (as a municipality) issued in anticipation of revenue

b : an instrument issued by a corporation giving to the holder the right to purchase the capital stock of the corporation at a stated price either prior to a stipulated date or at any future time stock warrant — compare subscription

warrant

transitive verb

Legal Definition of warrant (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to guarantee especially by giving assurances that make one liable or responsible: as

a : to give a warranty (as of title) to

b : to protect or assure by warranty the warranted goods an assignor is not liable for defaults of the obligor and does not warrant his solvency — Restatement (Second) of Contracts

c : to state as a warranty : guarantee to be as represented the seller warrants that the car is without defects expressly warranted “prior endorsements guaranteed”— J. J. White and R. S. Summers

2a : to authorize by a warrant a warranted search

b : to serve as or give adequate reason or authorization for warranted the awarding of attorney's fees was not warranted by the facts

3 : to give proof of the authenticity or truth of a formally warranted statement

History and Etymology for warrant

Noun

Anglo-French warant garant protector, guarantor, authority, authorization, of Germanic origin

Transitive verb

Anglo-French warentir garantir, from garant protector, guarantor