guaranty

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman 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. Compare guarantee, warranty.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈɡaɹənti/

Noun

guaranty (plural guaranties)

1. (law) 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.
2. Something serving as a security for such an undertaking.
   • 1864, Various, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864^[1]:

     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.

3. An assurance or guarantee.
   • 1904, Olive Tilford Dargan, Semiramis and Other Plays^[2]:

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

   • 1945, René Wellek, “The Philosophical Basis of Masaryk’s Political Ideals” in Ethics LV, № 4 (July 1945), page 299, right column:

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

Related terms

• guarantor

References

• guaranty in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• guaranty in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Verb

guaranty (third-person singular simple present guaranties, present participle guarantying, simple past and past participle guarantied)

1. Obsolete spelling of guarantee.
   • 1742, Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, Vol. 6^[3]:

     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."