What does "warrant" mean?

1. (to justify) to make a particular action or reaction necessary or right. 2. (to guarantee) to promise that something is true or of good quality. 3. (legal document) an official document signed by a judge that allows the police to do something, like search a house. 4. (financial right) a document that gives you the right to buy shares in a company at a fixed price. 5. (military rank) a rank in the army or navy that is above a sergeant but below a regular officer.

warrant

v. · n.

US //ˈwɔɹənt// UK //wˈɒɹənt// war·rant

1 to justify (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to make a particular action or reaction necessary or right.

to serve as adequate ground or reason for an action or conclusion. Transitive — requires a direct object.

Example

The situation was serious, but it did not warrant such a violent reaction.

Example

While the initial findings are promising, they do not yet warrant a full-scale clinical trial without further peer-reviewed data.
2 to guarantee (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to promise that something is true or of good quality.

to guarantee the quality, truth, or validity of something. Often used in commercial or legal guarantees.

Example

The manufacturer warrants that the engine will last for ten years.

Example

The seller warrants that the property is free of all liens and encumbrances at the time of the transaction.

Show 3 more sensesShow fewer

3 legal document (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Law

an official document signed by a judge that allows the police to do something, like search a house.

a judicial writ or order authorizing an officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search.

Example

The police had a warrant to search the suspect's apartment for evidence.

Example

The judge refused to sign the search warrant, citing a lack of probable cause in the detective's affidavit.
4 financial right (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Finance

a document that gives you the right to buy shares in a company at a fixed price.

a derivative security that gives the holder the right to purchase securities from the issuer at a specific price within a certain time frame.

Example

The investors were offered warrants as part of the new funding deal.

Example

The company issued stock warrants to its early employees, allowing them to purchase shares at a significant discount if the firm went public.
- option
- security
5 military rank (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Military

a rank in the army or navy that is above a sergeant but below a regular officer.

shortened form of 'warrant officer'; a rank in many military services held by technical experts.

Example

He was promoted to warrant officer after ten years of technical service.

Example

The warrant was responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft's complex radar systems.
- officer

Origin

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.

Word family

Verbwarrant
Adjectivewarranted