guaranty

G2U1A1R1A1N1T1Y4
UK/ˈɡæɹənti/

noun

An undertaking to answer for the payment of some debt, or the performance of some contract or duty, of another, in case of the failure of such other to pay or perform; a warranty; a security.

Similar
guarantee
OriginOld French guarantie ← Frankish *warand ← Proto-Germanic *warjaną →
Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounguaranty (plural guaranties)

plural guaranties

  1. lawAn undertaking to answer for the payment of some debt, or the performance of some contract or duty, of another, in case of the failure of such other to pay or perform; a warranty; a security.
  2. Something serving as a security for such an undertaking.

    No doubt the city of New York and the State of California contain capital enough for the completion of the entire road,--would subscribe to it, too, upon sufficient guaranties.

    1864, Various, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864
  3. An assurance or guarantee.

    America has sent us guaranties She will demand that Maximilian Be held but as a prisoner of war.

    1904, Olive Tilford Dargan, Semiramis and Other Plays
    2 more examples

    ...He had contemplated the match as the fittest for the heir to England's throne, and one that offered the best guaranty for mutual happiness and a vigorous progeniture.

    1886, James Parton, “King and Queen of Denmark”, in Some Noted Princes, Authors, and Statesmen of Our Time

    The concept of God and immortality is for him a guaranty of this eternal difference between right and wrong.

    1945, René Wellek, “The Philosophical Basis of Masaryk’s Political Ideals” in Ethics LV, № 4 (July 1945), page 299, right column
verbguaranty (third-person singular simple present guaranties, present participle guarantying, simple past and past participle guarantied)

present singular third person guaranties · participle present guarantying · participle past guarantied · past guarantied

  1. alternativeAlternative form of guarantee.

    Real-time systems require a predictable behaviour in terms of guarantied deadlines.

    2017, J.A. De La Puente, L. Boullart, Real-Time Programming 1992, →ISBN, page 185
    2 more examples

    His imperial majesty likewise guaranties to the king of Prussia the perpetual possession of upper Silesia; and the king guaranties to the emperour the perpetual possession of upper Austria, as soon as he shall have occupied it by conquest."

    1742, Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, Vol. 6

    They are classified as “loans” because they involve traditional market-rate loans, but with one important additional feature: Their payments are guarantied by a financially powerful third party.

    2014, Michael Curley, Finance Policy for Renewable Energy and a Sustainable Environment, →ISBN

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna collateral agreement to answer for the debt of another in case that person defaults

Similar
guarantee
Broader
collateral
Also see
guarantee

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wer-“to close, cover, protect, save, defend”
  2. Proto-Germanic*warjaną“to defend, protect”
  3. Frankish*warjan“to fend for, designate something as true, vouch for”
  4. Frankish*warand
  5. Old Frenchgarant
  6. Old Frenchgarantir
  7. Old Frenchguarantie
  8. Englishguaranty

From Old French guarantie, from Old French guarantie (“protection, defense”), from Old French garantir, guarantir (“to warrant, vouch for something”), from Old French garant, guarant, warant (“a warrant; warranter, supporter, defender, protector”), from Frankish *warand, *warjand (“a warrant”), from Frankish *warjan (“to fend for, designate something as true, vouch for”), from Proto-Germanic *warjaną (“to defend, protect”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to close, cover, protect, save, defend”). Cognate with Middle Low German warent, warend (“a warrant”), German gewähren (“to grant”). More at warrant. Doublet of guarantee and warranty.

More words from Old French, Frankish, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 擔保 /担保, 保證 /保证
  • 擔保 /担保 (dānbǎo)undertaking to answer for payment, performance of contract, etc.
  • 保證 /保证 (bǎozhèng)undertaking to answer for payment, performance of contract, etc.
  • 擔保物 /担保物something serving as a security for such an undertaking
  • 抵押品 (dǐyāpǐn)something serving as a security for such an undertaking
  • 擔保品 /担保品something serving as a security for such an undertaking
  • 保證 /保证 (bǎozhèng)assurance or guarantee
  • 保險 /保险 (bǎoxiǎn)assurance or guarantee
Esperanto garantiaĵo, garantiaĵo
  • garantiaĵoundertaking to answer for payment, performance of contract, etc.
  • garantiaĵosomething serving as a security for such an undertaking
  • garantioassurance or guarantee
Finnish takaus, vakuus
  • takausundertaking to answer for payment, performance of contract, etc.
  • vakuussomething serving as a security for such an undertaking
  • vakuutusassurance or guarantee
  • taeassurance or guarantee
German Garantievertrag
  • Garantievertragundertaking to answer for payment, performance of contract, etc.
Russian догово́р гара́нтии
  • догово́р гара́нтии (dogovór garántii)undertaking to answer for payment, performance of contract, etc.
Spanish garantía, garantía
  • garantíasomething serving as a security for such an undertaking
  • garantíaassurance or guarantee
Cite this entry
APA

guaranty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/guaranty

MLA

“guaranty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/guaranty. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “guaranty,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/guaranty.

Source: guaranty on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.