noun
surety
SHAW-rih-tee
noun
1
A guarantee or promise, especially one to cover someone else's debt or obligation if they fail to pay it.
"His uncle acted as surety for the loan when the bank asked for a guarantor."
"The court released him on the surety of a family friend."
2
A person who takes on legal responsibility for another person's debt or duty.
"The landlord asked for a surety in case the tenant missed a payment."
How to Use Surety
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA guarantee, or someone who backs a promise with their own money or word.
Common mistake
Don't confuse "surety" (a guarantee/guarantor) with "security" (safety, or collateral) — they share a root but are used differently today.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
stand surety for
a surety bond
act as surety
Word Forms
sureties plural
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His uncle acted as _____ for the loan when the bank asked for a guarantor.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman seurté, ultimately from Latin securitas ("security") — a doublet of the word "security" itself.