English Explanatory Dictionary

warrant

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
  2. Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof.
  3. An order that serves as authorization; especially a voucher authorizing payment or receipt of money.
  4. An option, usually issued together with another security and with a term at issue greater than a year, to buy other securities of the issuer.
  5. A judicial writ authorizing an officer to make a search, seizure, or arrest, or to execute a judgment.
  6. Ellipsis of warrant officer.
  7. A certificate of appointment given to a warrant officer.
  8. A document certifying that a motor vehicle meets certain standards of mechanical soundness and safety; a warrant of fitness.
  9. A defender, a protector.
  10. Underclay in a coal mine.
verb
  1. To protect, keep safe (from danger).
  2. To give (someone) an assurance or guarantee (of something); also, with a double object: to guarantee (someone something).
  3. To guarantee (something) to be (of a specified quality, value, etc.).
  4. To guarantee as being true; (colloquial) to believe strongly.
  5. To authorize; to give (someone) sanction or warrant (to do something).
  6. To justify; to give grounds for.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɒɹənt/ /ˈwɔɹənt/ /ˈwɑɹənt/ en-us-warrant.ogg en-au-warrant.ogg

Word forms

warrant warrants warraunt warranting warranted

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English warant (“protector; guard, shield, protection”), from Anglo-Norman warrant, Old Northern French warant, warand, a variant of Old French guarant, garant, garand (“assurance, guarantee; authorization, permission; protector; protection, safety”) (modern French garant), from Frankish *warand, present participle of *warjan (“to fend off; to stop, thwart”). The word is cognate with Old High German werento (“guarantor”). The verb is derived from Middle English warrant, waranten (“to give protection; to protect, shield; to assure, pledge, promise; to guarantee”), from Anglo-Norman warantir, warandir, warentir, and Old Northern French warandir, warantir, variant forms of Old French guarantir (“to protect”) (modern French garantir), a Romance formation from the noun guarant: see above.

Synonyms

allowance mandate sanction authority authorization clearance consent leave license permission permit warrant warren earth

Related words

unwarrantability unwarrantable unwarrantableness unwarrantably unwarranted unwarrantedly unwarrantedness unwarrantied warrantedness warrantise warranty

Derived words

arrest warrant bench warrant death warrant detention warrant dock warrant fugie warrant general warrant imprisonment warrant letter warrant mental inquest warrant release warrant royal warrant search warrant sign one's death warrant sign one's own death warrant warrantable warrant canary warrant card warrantee warranter warrantless warrantlessly warrant of arrest warrant of attorney warrant officer warrant of fitness warrant of payment warrantor warrant return warranted
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