Meaning & use
guarantee
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Meanings
nouncountablebusiness
A promise from a seller that a product will work or be repaired or replaced if it does not.
Grammar: Often used with on or of: a guarantee on the phone.
Patterns
- a guarantee on something
- a guarantee of something
The laptop comes with a two-year guarantee.
The shop offers a money-back guarantee on all items.
Check that the guarantee covers accidental damage.
nouncountable
Something that makes a particular result certain, or very likely.
Grammar: Often negative: there is no guarantee that it will work.
Patterns
- a guarantee of something
- no guarantee that something
Hard work is no guarantee of success.
There is no guarantee that the train will be on time.
A good degree is not a guarantee of a good job.
verbtransitive
To promise firmly that something will happen or be true, or to make certain that it will.
Grammar: Takes an object or clause: guarantee delivery, guarantee that it works.
Patterns
- guarantee something
- guarantee someone something
- guarantee that something
The company guarantees delivery within two days.
I can't guarantee that she will come.
The contract guarantees every worker a fair wage.
verbtransitivefinancelegal
To agree to take responsibility for a debt or a promise if someone else fails.
Grammar: Used in finance and law.
Patterns
- guarantee a loan
- guarantee someone's debt
Her father guaranteed the loan for the house.
The government guaranteed the bank's deposits.
He agreed to guarantee his brother's rent.
Word forms
| plural | guarantees |
|---|---|
| third person singular | guarantees |
| past tense | guaranteed |
| -ing form | guaranteeing |
Common combinations
- money-back guarantee
- The cream has a money-back guarantee.
- no guarantee
- There is no guarantee we'll find tickets.
- guarantee success
- Nothing can guarantee success in business.
- under guarantee
- The camera is still under guarantee.
- guarantee a loan
- The state agreed to guarantee the loan.
- guaranteed to
- This recipe is guaranteed to impress your guests.
Synonyms and how they differ
- warranty
- A warranty is a written promise about repair or replacement, while guarantee is also used for general promises of results.
- assure
- Assure means to tell someone confidently that something is true, but it does not carry the binding promise that guarantee does.
- pledge
- A pledge is a solemn promise to do something, and it may be about conduct rather than a result or product.
- ensure
- Ensure means to make sure something happens, without necessarily promising a result to another person.
Opposites
Word family
- guaranteed adjective
- certain to happen or be provided
- guarantor noun
- a person who agrees to be responsible for someone else's debt
- guaranty noun
- a legal word for a formal promise to pay a debt
- unguaranteed adjective
- not covered by a guarantee
Commonly confused: guarantee or guaranty? guarantee or warranty?
guarantee vs guaranty
Guaranty is a mainly legal and financial term, while guarantee is the common word in daily English.
guarantee vs warranty
A warranty is a written promise about repair of a product, while guarantee can cover any firm promise.
Practice
Studying hard improves your chances, but it is no ___ that you will pass the exam.
Choose one answer.
After 'no' a singular noun is needed, and guarantee fits. 'Guarantor' is a person, and the -ing form is a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “guarantee”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.