warrant

 
Pronunciation: /ˈwɒr(ə)nt/

noun

  • 1a document issued by a legal or government official authorizing the police or another body to make an arrest, search premises, or carry out some other action relating to the administration of justice: magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest an extradition warrant
  • a document that entitles the holder to receive goods, money, or services: we’ll issue you with a travel warrant
  • Finance a negotiable security allowing the holder to buy shares at a specified price at or before a future date: [as modifier]: warrant bonds
  • 2 [mass noun, usually with negative] justification or authority for an action, belief, or feeling: there is no warrant for this assumption
  • 3an official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer.

verb

[with object]
  • 1justify or necessitate (a course of action): the employees feel that industrial action is warranted
  • 2officially affirm or guarantee: the vendor warrants the accuracy of the report

Phrases

I (or I'll) warrant (you)

dated used to express the speaker’s certainty about something: I’ll warrant you’ll thank me for it in years to come

Derivatives

warranter

noun

Origin:

Middle English (in the senses 'protector' and 'safeguard', also, as a verb, 'keep safe from danger'): from variants of Old French guarant (noun), guarantir (verb), of Germanic origin; compare with guarantee

Spelling help

Spell warrant with a double r; the ending is -ant.