warranty

 
Pronunciation: /ˈwɒr(ə)nti/

noun (plural warranties)

  • 1a written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time: the car comes with a three-year warranty [mass noun]: as your machine is under warranty, I suggest getting it checked
  • (in an insurance contract) an engagement by the insured party that certain statements are true or that certain conditions shall be fulfilled, the breach of which will invalidate the policy.
  • 2 [mass noun, usually with negative] archaic justification or grounds for an action or belief: you have no warranty for such an audacious doctrine

Origin:

Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French warantie, variant of garantie (see guaranty). Early use was as a legal term denoting a covenant annexed to a conveyance of property, in which the vendor affirmed the security of the title