noun
warrant
WO-ruhnt
noun
1
An official document issued by a court or authority giving legal permission for an action, such as an arrest or search.
"Police obtained a warrant before searching the property."
"The judge issued an arrest warrant for the suspect."
verb
1
To justify or provide sufficient grounds for something.
"The evidence didn't warrant such a harsh punishment."
"Her outstanding work warranted a promotion."
2
To guarantee or give assurance that something is true or of a certain quality.
"The seller warranted that the goods were free from defects."
How to Use Warrant
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAs a noun, official legal permission to do something (like search a house); as a verb, to justify or to guarantee.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with warranty (a guarantee on a product) — warrant most often refers to legal authorisation or justification.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
search warrant
arrest warrant
warrant further investigation
Word Forms
warranted past tense, warrants singular
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Police obtained a _____ before searching the property.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman warant, ultimately from a Frankish word meaning "to protect" or "to guard," related to "ward."