I. guar ‧ an ‧ tee 1 S2 W3 AC /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ guarantee ; noun : ↑ guarantee ]
1 .
a) to promise to do something or to promise that something will happen
guarantee (that)
I guarantee you’ll love this film.
guarantee somebody something
If you send the application form in straight away, I can guarantee you an interview.
guarantee to do something
I cannot guarantee to work for more than a year.
The law guarantees equal rights for men and women.
b) to make a formal written promise to repair or replace a product if it breaks within a specific period of time:
All our products are fully guaranteed.
guarantee something against something
The stereo is guaranteed against failure for a year.
2 . to promise that you will pay back money that someone else has borrowed, if they do not pay it back themselves:
The bank will only lend me money if my parents guarantee the loan.
3 . to make it certain that something will happen:
In movies, talent by no means guarantees success.
guarantee that
The built-in thermostat guarantees that the water remains at the same temperature all the time.
be guaranteed to do something
This latest incident is guaranteed to make the situation worse.
be guaranteed something
Even if you complete your training, you aren’t guaranteed a job.
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THESAURUS
▪ promise to tell someone that you will definitely do something, or that something will happen:
He promised to give the book back.
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The organisers have promised that this year’s event will take place.
▪ swear to make a very serious and sincere promise, for example in a law court:
He had sworn to tell the truth.
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I would never do that, I swear.
▪ give somebody your word especially spoken to promise sincerely that you will do something or that something is true – often used when you are trying to persuade someone that they can trust you:
I give you my word that your money is safe with me.
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I’ll let you go out tonight if you give me your word that you’ll be home by 11.
▪ vow to make a very serious promise, often to yourself:
She vowed that she would never drink alcohol again.
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They vowed to carry on their campaign for justice.
▪ assure to promise someone that something will happen or that something is true, in order to try to make them feel less worried:
Police have assured the public that they are doing everything they can to find the killer.
▪ guarantee to promise that you will make sure that something will definitely happen, so that there is no question of it not happening:
I guarantee that you will have the documents by tomorrow.
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How can you guarantee that this won’t happen again?
▪ pledge to promise publicly or officially that you will do something, for example to give help or money:
The government has pledged to increase overseas aid to $4 billion over the next five years.
▪ undertake formal to make an official or legal promise to do something:
The government undertook to keep price increases to a minimum.
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The two sides undertook to respect each other’s territory.
▪ commit to something formal to make a firm and definite promise to do something important, which will affect you for a long time and which could result in serious effects if you fail:
Bobby felt unready to commit to a romantic relationship.
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A group of 11 companies has committed to developing a new passenger plane.
II. guarantee 2 S3 AC BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ guarantee ; noun : ↑ guarantee ]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Probably from guaranty ]
1 . a formal written promise to repair or replace a product if it breaks within a specific period of time SYN warranty :
They offer a two-year guarantee on all their electrical goods.
come with/carry a guarantee
Our computers come with a one-year guarantee.
under guarantee
Is your TV under guarantee (=protected by a guarantee) ?
a money-back guarantee
2 . a formal promise that something will be done
guarantee of
I’m afraid there’s no guarantee of success.
guarantee that
I cannot give a guarantee that there will be no redundancies.
3 .
a) a promise that you will pay back money that someone else has used or borrowed, if they do not pay it themselves
b) something valuable that you give to someone to keep until you have done something you promised to do:
The bank is holding the airline’s assets as guarantees.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a guarantee
All our boots have a one-year guarantee for being waterproof.
▪ come with/carry a guarantee
The building work comes with a 30-year guarantee.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + guarantee
▪ a one-year/two-year etc guarantee
Our clocks carry a five-year guarantee.
▪ a money-back guarantee (=one that gives you back the money you paid if there is a problem)
The company offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee on all its products.
▪ a lifetime guarantee (=one that lasts as long as the object your have bought)
The binoculars are covered against manufacturing faults by a lifetime guarantee.
▪ a full guarantee (=one that covers all problems)
A full guarantee comes with every purchase.
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THESAURUS
▪ promise a statement that you will definitely do or provide something, which may not be reliable:
‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’ ‘Is that a promise?’
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Politicians are always making promises.
▪ pledge a public or official promise to do a particular thing in the future:
The Government has fulfilled at least 50% of its election pledges.
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We have received pledges of help from various organizations.
▪ vow a very serious promise to do something or not to do something that you choose to make:
He made a vow never to drink alcohol again.
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your marriage vows
▪ oath a formal promise, especially one that someone makes in a court of law:
Witnesses swear a solemn oath to tell the truth.
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Public officials must take an oath to support the US Constitution.
▪ undertaking a serious or public promise to do something, especially something difficult which needs a lot of effort or money:
The police have given an undertaking to reduce street crime in the city centre.
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He was made to sign a written undertaking that he would not go within a mile of her house.
▪ assurance a promise that something will happen or is true, made so that someone is less worried or more confident:
You have my assurance that it won’t happen again.
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The manager gave me his personal assurance that the goods would be delivered today.
▪ guarantee a very definite promise that something will happen. A guarantee is also a formal written promise by a company to repair or replace a product free if it has a fault within a fixed period of time.:
With any diet, there’s no guarantee of success.
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I’m afraid I can’t give you a 100% guarantee.
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Is the camera still under guarantee (=within the period during which it can be repaired or replaced free) ?