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.
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 WebErik 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
Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), DIRECTV TECH PROTECT, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
The brand offers a 90-day money-back guarantee on the topper, and Viscosoft’s five-year warranty backs all toppers.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
There are no loans available (at least not without personal guarantees, valuable collateral, a year of revenue, and high interest rates).
—Alissa Jubelirer, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
But Iran’s apparent efforts to stave off Israeli retaliation — by giving advance warning of its attacks, and making minimal use of its proxies — were no guarantee that a broader war would be avoided, analysts said.
—Matt Viser, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Judged over a season, the structures in place at Arsenal might offer a better guarantee of success than those at Bayern Munich.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
However, if the Biden administration dismantles the law that makes this collaboration possible, there’s no guarantee that our global dominance in quantum computing will persist in the long term.
—Jungsang Kim, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
This is all but guaranteed to make some UMG artists — those who have developed devoted TikTok followings, or had success marketing music on the platform in the past — jealous.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
For nearly 40 years, federal law has guaranteed that patients have access to necessary emergency care, including when a pregnancy goes horribly wrong.
—Caitlin Gustafson, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
High ceilings, concrete walls, and soft lighting created a calming ambiance, along with a rain shower guaranteed to invoke a meditative state.
—Josephine Wong, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee AI doesn’t influence the outcome of the election, according to Tara McGuinness, a former senior advisor to President Obama.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Without sacrificing their dedication to cost-cutting measures to guarantee low prices, Aldi announced plans to expand further.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Clark is all but guaranteed to keep that momentum going.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting.
—Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 7 Apr. 2024
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
Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), DIRECTV TECH PROTECT, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
The brand offers a 90-day money-back guarantee on the topper, and Viscosoft’s five-year warranty backs all toppers.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
There are no loans available (at least not without personal guarantees, valuable collateral, a year of revenue, and high interest rates).
—Alissa Jubelirer, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
But Iran’s apparent efforts to stave off Israeli retaliation — by giving advance warning of its attacks, and making minimal use of its proxies — were no guarantee that a broader war would be avoided, analysts said.
—Matt Viser, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Judged over a season, the structures in place at Arsenal might offer a better guarantee of success than those at Bayern Munich.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
However, if the Biden administration dismantles the law that makes this collaboration possible, there’s no guarantee that our global dominance in quantum computing will persist in the long term.
—Jungsang Kim, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024
Verb
Mad Viking offers various products catering to different beard lengths, textures, and styling preferences, guaranteeing that every bearded man finds the perfect match for his grooming needs.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
This is all but guaranteed to make some UMG artists — those who have developed devoted TikTok followings, or had success marketing music on the platform in the past — jealous.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
For nearly 40 years, federal law has guaranteed that patients have access to necessary emergency care, including when a pregnancy goes horribly wrong.
—Caitlin Gustafson, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
High ceilings, concrete walls, and soft lighting created a calming ambiance, along with a rain shower guaranteed to invoke a meditative state.
—Josephine Wong, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee AI doesn’t influence the outcome of the election, according to Tara McGuinness, a former senior advisor to President Obama.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Without sacrificing their dedication to cost-cutting measures to guarantee low prices, Aldi announced plans to expand further.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Clark is all but guaranteed to keep that momentum going.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting.
—Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 7 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near guarantee
Cite this Entry
“Guarantee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guarantee. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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