warrant

war·rant

Use warrant in a sentence

noun

The definition of a warrant is a document that gives authority for something.
An example of warrant is a document stating that a particular person needs to be arrested if found.

verb

Warrant is defined as to guarantee, assure or give someone authority to do something.
1. An example of warrant is to guarantee the freshness of flowers in a delivery.
2. An example of warrant is to promise the delivery of goods tomorrow morning.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"warrant." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant>.

APA Style

warrant. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant

warrant

1. authorization or sanction, as by a superior or the law
2. justification or reasonable grounds for some act, course, statement, or belief
something that serves as an assurance, or guarantee, of some event or result
a writing serving as authorization or certification for something; specif.,
1. authorization in writing for the payment or receipt of money
2. a short-term note issued by a municipality or other governmental agency, usually in anticipation of tax revenues
3. an option issued by a company granting the holder the right to buy certain securities, generally common stock, at a specified price and usually for a limited time
4. Law a writ or order authorizing an officer to make an arrest, seizure, or search, or perform some other designated act
5. Mil. the certificate of appointment to the grade of warrant officer

Origin of warrant

Middle English warant from Norman French (OFr garant), a warrant from Frankish an unverified form warand from present participle of an unverified form warjan; akin to Old English werian, to guard, defend: see weir

1. to give (someone) authorization or sanction to do something
2. to authorize (the doing of something)
to serve as justification or reasonable grounds for (an act, belief, etc.): a remark that did not warrant such anger
to give formal assurance, or guarantee, to (someone) or for (something); specif.,
1. to guarantee the quality, quantity, condition, etc. of (goods) to the purchaser
2. to guarantee to (the purchaser) that goods sold are as represented
3. to guarantee to (the purchaser) the title of goods purchased; assure of indemnification against loss
4. Law to guarantee the title of granted property to (the grantee)
Informal to state with confidence; affirm emphatically: I warrant they'll be late

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"warrant." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant>.

APA Style

warrant. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant

warrant

noun

An order that serves as authorization, especially:
a. Law A judicial writ authorizing the search or seizure of property, arrest of a person, or the execution of a legal judgment.
b. A voucher authorizing payment or receipt of money.
c. An option to buy stock at a specified price from an issuing company.
a. Justification for an action or a belief; grounds: “The difficulty of predicting the future is no warrant to ignore it” ( Brian Hayes )
b. Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof: “The kind of uncertainties and ambiguities … which may damage [his] essays … are often a warrant of authenticity in [his] fiction” ( John Edward Hardy )
Authorization or certification; sanction, as given by a superior.
a. A warrant officer.
b. A certificate of appointment given to a warrant officer.

transitive verb

war·rant·ed, war·rant·ing, war·rants

To provide adequate grounds for; justify or require: What could he have done that would warrant such a punishment?
a. To guarantee (a product).
b. To guarantee (a purchaser) indemnification against damage or loss.
Law To guarantee clear title to (real property).

Origin of warrant

Middle English warant from Old North French of Germanic origin ; see wer-⁴ in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

war′rant·a·bil′i·ty
noun

war′rant·a·ble
adjective

war′rant·a·bly
adverb

war′rant·less
adjective

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"warrant." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant>.

APA Style

warrant. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant

Noun

(plural warrants)

Authorization or certification; sanction, as given by a superior.
Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof: a warrant of authenticity; a warrant for success.
He almost gives his failings as a warrant for his greatness (Garry Wills).
An order that serves as authorization, especially: A voucher authorizing payment or receipt of money.
(law) A judicial writ authorizing an officer to make a search, seizure, or arrest or to execute a judgment.
arrest warrant issued by Thai supreme court
A warrant officer.
A certificate of appointment given to a warrant officer.
(finance) An option, usually with a term at issue greater than a year, usually issued together with another security, to buy other securities of the issuer.
(New Zealand) A Warrant of Fitness; a document certifying that a motor vehicle meets certain standards of safety and mechanical soundness.

Origin

From Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French warant, warand (= Old French guarant > modern garant), present participle of a Romance verb from Frankish *warjan.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present warrants, present participle warranting, simple past and past participle warranted)

To guarantee (something) to be (of a specified quality, value etc.).
To guarantee as being true; (colloquially) to believe strongly.
That tree is going to fall, I'll warrant.
To authorize; to give (someone) warrant or sanction (to do something).
I am warranted to search these premises fully.
To justify; to give grounds for.
Circumstances arose that warranted the use of lethal force.

Origin

From Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French warantir, warandir (= Old French guarantir > modern garantir), a Romance formation from the noun, Etymology 1, above.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"warrant." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant>.

APA Style

warrant. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant

warrant - Investment & Finance Definition

A security issued by a company that gives the owner the right to purchase stock shares at a set price within a specific time frame. In contrast, a perpetual warrant has no expiration date. Sometimes warrants are given to purchasers of debt or preferred stock as an incentive to buy.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"warrant." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant>.

APA Style

warrant. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Warrant

warrant - Legal Definition

n

An order in writing from a competent authority instructing that a certain act be carried out.
In commercial and property law, a warrant also refers to a guarantee that a property being sold or transferred meets certain specified criteria.

arrest warrant

A court order directing that a certain person be taken into custody by the sheriff or other law officer and made to appear before the court to answer a complaint, or for some other reason.

bench warrant

An arrest warrant issued specifically by a judge for a person who has failed to appear before a court after previously having been summoned to do so, or who has been indicted for an offense or found to be in contempt of court.

death warrant

A warrant issued by a governor or other person with authority, commanding that a prisoner under sentence of death be put to death at a certain time and in a certain manner.

general warrant

A warrant used by the government to search a described premises and seize any proscribed substances not described in the warrant. This type of warrant has been held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court as violating the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, except in cases where the seized items are in plain sight.

stock warrant

A certificate entitling the bearer to buy a certain number of shares of stock at a specified time for a set price.