guaranty

Etymology

From Old French guarantie, from Old French guarantie (“protection, defense”), from Old French garantir, guarantir (“to warrant, vouch for something”), from Old French garant, guarant, warant (“a warrant; warranter, supporter, defender, protector”), from Frankish *warand, *warjand (“a warrant”), from Frankish *warjan (“to fend for, designate something as true, vouch for”), from Proto-Germanic *warjaną (“to defend, protect”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to close, cover, protect, save, defend”). Cognate with Middle Low German warent, warend (“a warrant”), German gewähren (“to grant”). More at warrant. Doublet of guarantee and warranty.

noun

1. (law) An undertaking to answer for the payment of some debt, or the performance of some contract or duty, of another, in case of the failure of such other to pay or perform; a warranty; a security.
2. Something serving as a security for such an undertaking.
   No doubt the city of New York and the State of California contain capital enough for the completion of the entire road,--would subscribe to it, too, upon sufficient guaranties. 1864, Various, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864
3. An assurance or guarantee.
   America has sent us guaranties She will demand that Maximilian Be held but as a prisoner of war. 1904, Olive Tilford Dargan, Semiramis and Other Plays
   The concept of God and immortality is for him a guaranty of this eternal difference between right and wrong. 1945, René Wellek, “The Philosophical Basis of Masaryk’s Political Ideals” in Ethics LV, № 4 (July 1945), page 299, right column

verb

1. Alternative form of guarantee
   His imperial majesty likewise guaranties to the king of Prussia the perpetual possession of upper Silesia; and the king guaranties to the emperour the perpetual possession of upper Austria, as soon as he shall have occupied it by conquest." 1742, Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, Vol. 6
   They are classified as “loans” because they involve traditional market-rate loans, but with one important additional feature: Their payments are guarantied by a financially powerful third party. 2014, Michael Curley, Finance Policy for Renewable Energy and a Sustainable Environment
   Real-time systems require a predictable behaviour in terms of guarantied deadlines. 2017, J.A. De La Puente, L. Boullart, Real-Time Programming 1992, page 185