WordofTheDay.US

warrant

/ˈwɒɹənt/ noun

In Latin: praemandāta Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about warrant at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
  2. Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof.
    a warrant of authenticity; a warrant for success
  3. An order that serves as authorization; especially a voucher authorizing payment or receipt of money.

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.).

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)