Adjacent Words

Warrant definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WARRANT, v.t. [The primary sense of the root is to stop or hold, or to repel, and thus guard by resisting danger; as we say, to keep off. Hence the sense of security. See Guard and Garrison.]
1. To authorize; to give authority or power to do or forbear any thing, by which the person authorized is secured or saved harmless from any loss or damage by the act. A commission warrants an officer to seize an enemy. We are not warranted to resist legitimate government. Except in extreme cases.
2. To maintain; to support by authority or proof.
Reason warrants it, and we may safely receive it as true.
3. To justify.
True fortitude is seen in great exploits, that justice warrants, and that wisdom guides.
4. To secure; to exempt; to privilege..
Ill warrant him from drowning.
In a place less warranted than this, or less secure, I cannot be--
5. To declare with assurance.
My neck is as smooth as silk, I warrant ye.
6. In law, to secure to a grantee an estate granted; to assure.
7. To secure to a purchaser of goods the title to the same; or to indemnify him against loss.
8. To secure to a purchaser the good quality of the goods sold. [See Warranty.]
9. To assure that a thing is what it appears to be, which implies a covenant to make good any defect or loss incurred by it.
WARRANT, n.
1. An act, instrument or obligation, by which one person authorizes another to do something which he has not otherwise a right to do; an act or instrument investing one with a right or authority, and thus securing him from loss or damage; a word of general application.
2. A precept authorizing an officer to seize an offender and bring him to justice. A general warrant to seize suspected persons, is illegal.
3. Authority; power that authorizes or justifies any act. Those who preach the gospel have the warrant of Scripture. We have the warrant of natural right to do what the laws do not forbid; but civility and propriety may sometimes render things improper, which natural right warrants.
4. A commission that gives authority, or that justifies.
5. A voucher; that which attests or proves.
6. Right; legality.
Theres warrant in that theft which steals itself when theres no mercy left.
7. A writing which authorizes a person to receive money or other thing.
Warrant of attorney, that by which a man appoints another to act in his name, and warrants his transaction.
Land warrant, is an instrument or writing issued by the proper officer, authorizing a person to locate or take up a tract of new or uncultivated land.
Search warrant, a precept authorizing a person to enter houses, shops, etc. to search for a criminal, for stolen or smuggled goods.
Warrant officer, an officer holding a warrant from the navy board, such as the master, surgeon, purser, etc. of a ship.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
2: a type of security issued by a corporation (usually together with a bond or preferred stock) that gives the holder the right to purchase a certain amount of common stock at a stated price; "as a sweetener they offered warrants along with the fixed-income securities" [syn: warrant, stock warrant, stock-purchase warrant]
3: formal and explicit approval; "a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement" [syn: sanction, countenance, endorsement, indorsement, warrant, imprimatur]
4: a written assurance that some product or service will be provided or will meet certain specifications [syn: guarantee, warrant, warrantee, warranty] v
1: show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for; "The emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns"; "The end justifies the means" [syn: justify, warrant]
2: stand behind and guarantee the quality, accuracy, or condition of; "The dealer warrants all the cars he sells"; "I warrant this information" [syn: guarantee, warrant]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English waraunt protector, warrant, from Anglo-French warant, garant, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wer?nto guarantor, wer?n to warrant; akin to Old High German w?ra trust, care — more at very Date: 14th century 1. a. (1) sanction, authorization; also evidence for or token of authorization (2) guarantee, security b. (1) ground, justification (2) confirmation, proof 2. a. a commission or document giving authority to do something; especially a writing that authorizes a person to pay or deliver to another and the other to receive money or other consideration b. a precept or writ issued by a competent magistrate authorizing an officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search or to do other acts incident to the administration of justice c. an official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer d. (1) a short-term obligation of a governmental body (as a municipality) issued in anticipation of revenue (2) an instrument issued by a corporation giving to the holder the right to purchase the stock of the corporation at a stated price either prior to a stipulated date or at any future time • warrantless adjective II. transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, waranten to act as protector, guarantee, from Anglo-French warentir, garantir, from warant Date: 14th century 1. a. to declare or maintain with certainty ; be sure that <I'll warrant he'll be here by noon> b. to assure (a person) of the truth of what is said 2. a. to guarantee to a person good title to and undisturbed possession of (as an estate) b. to provide a guarantee of the security of (as title to property sold) usually by an express covenant in the deed of conveyance c. to guarantee to be as represented d. to guarantee (as goods sold) especially in respect of the quality or quantity specified 3. to guarantee security or immunity to ; secure <I'll warrant him from drowning — Shakespeare> 4. to give warrant or sanction to ; authorize <the law warrants this procedure> 5. a. to give proof of the authenticity or truth of b. to give assurance of the nature of or for the undertaking of ; guarantee 6. to serve as or give adequate ground or reason for <promising enough to warrant further consideration>

Britannica Concise

In law, authorization in writing empowering a person to perform an act or execute an office. Arrest warrants are necessary (except in certain circumstances) for an arrest to be considered legal. Search warrants entitle the holder to enter and search a property. Both are classes of judicial warrants. To obtain them, a complainant must provide an affidavit setting forth facts sufficient to satisfy the belief that a crime has been committed and that the accused is the guilty party (or, in the case of the search warrant, that the place to be searched will yield the expected evidence). Nonjudicial warrants include tax warrants (which provide the authority to collect taxes) and land warrants (which entitle the holder to a specific tract of public land).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a anything that authorizes a person or an action (have no warrant for this). b a person so authorizing (I will be your warrant). 2 a a written authorization, money voucher, travel document, etc. (a dividend warrant). b a written authorization allowing police to search premises, arrest a suspect, etc. 3 a document authorizing counsel to represent the principal in a lawsuit (warrant of attorney). 4 a certificate of service rank held by a warrant-officer. --v.tr. 1 serve as a warrant for; justify (nothing can warrant his behaviour). 2 guarantee or attest to esp. the genuineness of an article, the worth of a person, etc. Phrases and idioms: I (or I'll) warrant I am certain; no doubt (he'll be sorry, I'll warrant). warrant-officer an officer ranking between commissioned officers and NCOs. Derivatives: warranter n. warrantor n. Etymology: ME f. ONF warant, var. of OF guarant, -and f. Frank. werend (unrecorded) f. giweren be surety for

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Warrant War"rant, n. [OE. warant, OF. warant a warrant, a defender, protector, F. garant, originally a p. pr. pf German origin, fr. OHG. wer[=e]n to grant, warrant, G. gew["a]hren; akin to OFries. wera. Cf. Guarantee.] 1. That which warrants or authorizes; a commission giving authority, or justifying the doing of anything; an act, instrument, or obligation, by which one person authorizes another to do something which he has not otherwise a right to do; an act or instrument investing one with a right or authority, and thus securing him from loss or damage; commission; authority. Specifically: (a) A writing which authorizes a person to receive money or other thing. (b) (Law) A precept issued by a magistrate authorizing an officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search, or do other acts incident to the administration of justice. (c) (Mil. & Nav.) An official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer. See Warrant officer, below. 2. That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty; security. I give thee warrant of thy place. --Shak. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither. --Shak. 3. That which attests or proves; a voucher. 4. Right; legality; allowance. [Obs.] --Shak. Bench warrant. (Law) See in the Vocabulary. Dock warrant (Com.), a customhouse license or authority. General warrant. (Law) See under General. Land warrant. See under Land. Search warrant. (Law) See under Search, n. Warrant of attorney (Law), written authority given by one person to another empowering him to transact business for him; specifically, written authority given by a client to his attorney to appear for him in court, and to suffer judgment to pass against him by confession in favor of some specified person. --Bouvier. Warrant officer, a noncommissioned officer, as a sergeant, corporal, bandmaster, etc., in the army, or a quartermaster, gunner, boatswain, etc., in the navy. Warrant to sue and defend. (a) (O. Eng. Law) A special warrant from the crown, authorizing a party to appoint an attorney to sue or defend for him. (b) A special authority given by a party to his attorney to commence a suit, or to appear and defend a suit in his behalf. This warrant is now disused. --Burrill.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Warrant War"rant, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warranted; p. pr. & vb. n. Warranting.] [OE. waranten, OF. warantir, garantir, guarantir, garentir, garandir, F. garantir to warrant, fr. OF. warant, garant, guarant, a warrant, a protector, a defender, F. garant. [root]142. See Warrant, n.] 1. To make secure; to give assurance against harm; to guarantee safety to; to give authority or power to do, or forbear to do, anything by which the person authorized is secured, or saved harmless, from any loss or damage by his action. That show I first my body to warrant. --Chaucer. I'll warrant him from drowning. --Shak. In a place Less warranted than this, or less secure, I can not be. --Milton. 2. To support by authority or proof; to justify; to maintain; to sanction; as, reason warrants it. True fortitude is seen in great exploits, That justice warrants, and that wisdom guides. --Addison. How little while it is since he went forth out of his study, -- chewing a Hebrew text of Scripture in his mouth, I warrant. --Hawthorne. 3. To give a warrant or warranty to; to assure as if by giving a warrant to. [My neck is] as smooth as silk, I warrant ye. --L' Estrange. 4. (Law) (a) To secure to, as a grantee, an estate granted; to assure. (b) To secure to, as a purchaser of goods, the title to the same; to indemnify against loss. (c) To secure to, as a purchaser, the quality or quantity of the goods sold, as represented. See Warranty, n., 2. (d) To assure, as a thing sold, to the purchaser; that is, to engage that the thing is what it appears, or is represented, to be, which implies a covenant to make good any defect or loss incurred by it.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Attorney At*tor"ney, n.; pl. Attorneys. [OE. aturneye, OF. atorn['e], p. p. of atorner: cf. LL. atturnatus, attornatus, fr. attornare. See Attorn.] 1. A substitute; a proxy; an agent. [Obs.] And will have no attorney but myself. --Shak. 2. (Law) (a) One who is legally appointed by another to transact any business for him; an attorney in fact. (b) A legal agent qualified to act for suitors and defendants in legal proceedings; an attorney at law. Note: An attorney is either public or private. A private attorney, or an attorney in fact, is a person appointed by another, by a letter or power of attorney, to transact any business for him out of court; but in a more extended sense, this class includes any agent employed in any business, or to do any act in pais, for another. A public attorney, or attorney at law, is a practitioner in a court of law, legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court, on the retainer of clients. --Bouvier. -- The attorney at law answers to the procurator of the civilians, to the solicitor in chancery, and to the proctor in the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts, and all of these are comprehended under the more general term lawyer. In Great Britain and in some states of the United States, attorneys are distinguished from counselors in that the business of the former is to carry on the practical and formal parts of the suit. In many states of the United States however, no such distinction exists. In England, since 1873, attorneys at law are by statute called solicitors. A power, letter, or warrant, of attorney, a written authority from one person empowering another to transact business for him.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(warrants, warranting, warranted) 1. If something warrants a particular action, it makes the action seem necessary or appropriate for the circumstances. The allegations are serious enough to warrant an investigation... = merit VERB: V n • warranted Do you think this fear is warranted? ADJ 2. A warrant is a legal document that allows someone to do something, especially one that is signed by a judge or magistrate and gives the police permission to arrest someone or search their house. Police confirmed that they had issued a warrant for his arrest. ...a search warrant... N-COUNT: oft N for n, also by N 3. see also death warrant

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Guarantee, secure, answer for, make secure. 2. Assure, vouch, avouch, declare, affirm, attest, give assurance to. 3. Maintain, support, sanction, authorize, justify, support by authority or proof. 4. (Law.) Secure to. II. n. 1. Guarantee, security, surety, pledge, warranty. 2. Authority, commission. 3. Permit, order, writ. 4. Voucher.

Moby Thesaurus

Bible oath, CD, IOU, John Hancock, MO, OK, accept, acceptance, acceptance bill, account for, accredit, acknowledge, acknowledgment, acquittance, admit, affidavit, affirm, affirmance, affirmation, agency, agentship, agree provisionally, allege, allow, amen, and candle, approbation, approval, approve, argue, assent grudgingly, assert, assert under oath, asseverate, assign, assignment, assurance, assure, attest, attestation, authenticate, authentication, authority, authorization, authorize, autograph, aver, avouch, avow, back, back up, bank acceptance, bank check, basis, be sponsor for, bear out, bear witness, bench warrant, bill, bill of draft, bill of exchange, bill of health, blank check, bolster, bond, book, brevet, building permit, buttress, call, callable securities, canceled check, capias, care, carte blanche, cats and dogs, cause, caveat, certificate, certificate of deposit, certificate of proficiency, certification, certified check, certify, charge, charter, check, checkbook, cheque, circumstantiate, claim, clear, clearance, commercial paper, commission, commissioning, commit, commitment, concede, confess, confirm, confirmation, consign, consignment, contend, copyright, corporation securities, corroborate, cosign, countenance, countersecure, countersign, countersignature, credential, cry sour grapes, cure, death warrant, debenture, declare, defend, delegate, delegated authority, delegation, demand bill, demand draft, depone, depose, deposition, deputation, depute, deputize, destigmatize, detach, detail, devolute, devolution, devolve, devolve upon, devolvement, diploma, discharge, disclose, dispensation, do justice to, document, draft, due bill, earnest, embassy, empower, empowerment, enable, enabling, endorse, endorsement, enfranchise, enfranchisement, ensure, entitle, entitlement, entrust, entrusting, entrustment, errand, exchequer bill, exculpate, executorship, exequatur, explain, express general agreement, express the belief, extrajudicial oath, factorship, favor, fiat, fieri facias, fishing license, foreign securities, fortify, foundation, franchise, freedom, full power, futures contract, give evidence, give in charge, give official sanction, give permission, give power, give the go-ahead, give the imprimatur, give thumbs up, go along with, go-ahead, good reason, government securities, grant, green light, ground, grounds, guarantee, guaranty, habere facias possessionem, hunting license, immunity, imprimatur, indemnity, indulgence, initial, injunction, insurance, insure, interdict, ironclad oath, judicial oath, junior securities, jurisdiction, justify, kiss the book, legalize, legation, legitimize, letter of credit, liberty, license, lieutenancy, listed securities, loyalty oath, make a promise, mandamus, mandate, mandatory injunction, marketable securities, material basis, mission, mittimus, money order, municipal securities, navicert, need, negotiable instrument, negotiable securities, nihil obstat, nisi prius, nod, noncallable securities, not oppose, notarization, notarize, notarized statement, note, note of hand, notice, notification, oath, oath of allegiance, oath of office, office, official oath, okay, outstanding securities, over-the-counter securities, own, paper, pass, pass on, pass upon, patent, pawn, permission, permit, pledge, plenipotentiary power, plight, portfolio, post, postal order, power of attorney, power to act, precept, privilege, probate, process, procuration, profess, prohibitory injunction, promise, promissory note, prove, proxy, purge, purview, quittance, ratification, ratify, rationalize, reason, receipt, receipt in full, recognize, regency, regentship, rehabilitate, reinforce, reinstate, release, require, responsibility, restore, right, rubber stamp, sanction, say amen to, seal, search warrant, second, secure, securities, security, send out, senior securities, sheepskin, short-term note, sight bill, sight draft, sigil, sign, sign and seal, sign for, signature, signet, solemn declaration, solemn oath, special favor, sponsor, stamp, stamp of approval, stand behind, stand up for, state, stipulate, stocks and bonds, strengthen, subject to call, subpoena, subscribe to, subscription, substance, substantiate, summons, support, surety, sustain, swear, swear and affirm, swear by bell, swear to, swear to God, swear to goodness, sworn statement, task, test oath, testamur, testify, testimonial, the nod, ticket, tie, time bill, time draft, token, trade acceptance, transfer, treasury bill, treasury bond, treasury certificate, treasury note, troth, trust, trusteeship, undergird, undersign, underwrite, undigested securities, unregistered securities, uphold, validate, validation, verify, vicarious authority, vindicate, visa, vise, vouch, voucher, vow, warrant of arrest, warrant of attorney, warranty, witness, word, writ, yield