warrant

Noun Quotes--> Extra Examples--> The police had a warrant for his arrest. There was no warrant for such behavior. Verb Quotes--> Extra Examples--> The writing was poor, but it hardly warrants that kind of insulting criticism. The punishment he received was not warranted.

Recent Examples on the Web

On December 24, 1914, U.S. Marshal Mark Storen arrived in Terre Haute with a thick stack of arrest warrants. — Sasha Issenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024 They are typically charged as a misdemeanor, resulting in fines of up to $25,000, though prison time of up to a year can be tacked on if the situation warrants. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

The goal is not to block people from their accounts but to increase friction, when warranted, to secure the customer’s account and the security of the social media platform. — Christophe Van De Weyer, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 Questions about someone earning a Ph.D. from an American university making hip-hop music, or teaching about it at one founded by a racist president, are warranted. — A.d. Carson, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for warrant

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English waraunt protector, warrant, from Anglo-French warant, garant, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German werēnto guarantor, werēn to warrant; akin to Old High German wāra trust, care — more at very entry 2

Middle English, waranten to act as protector, guarantee, from Anglo-French warentir, garantir, from warant

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a