Warrant means: Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
warrant
Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
ˈwɒɹəntDocumented since 1980s1980sGen XhistoricalCurrent119 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · 1 year of recorded useGen X eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Imma keep it a buck. The Boys finale season hasn’t been good enough to warrant a theatrical finale. Like be for real
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
A Round Rock ISD football coach has been arrested on a warrant from another county.
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
Ok anime world, you have a woman looking for another frog woman to project herself into. They have to be a supporting cast member but cool/cute/funny enough to warrant showing up sometimes. Preferrably a thirty year…
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
Now playing: "Cherry Pie" by Warrant. DL our free app & listen at https://Jeffro.Radio
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
Lake Holiday man arrested on Iowa sexual abuse warrant
View source
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
Two years after the first appearance on the London stage by an English actress, a royal warrant of 1660 decreed that women rather than boys were to play all female roles.
Origin: [[File:NYARNG NCO WARRANT.png|thumb|A warrant (noun sense 1) issued on September 1, 1980, by the New York Army National Guard appointing someone as a sergeant]] The noun is derived from , from , , warand, a variant of , garant, garand (modern ), from , of *warjan. The word is cognate with . The verb is derived from , waranten, from , warandir, warentir, and , warantir, variant forms of (modern ), a Romance formation from the noun guarant: see above. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Warrant means: Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
warrant means: Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Cluster: general
Was this helpful?
Comments
#2·Apr 27, 2026
(countable) Something that provides assurance or confirmation; a guarantee or proof.
a warrant of authenticity; a warrant for success
Was this helpful?
Comments
#3·Apr 27, 2026
(countable) An order that serves as authorization; especially a voucher authorizing payment or receipt of money.
The brazen serpent, lifted up in the centre of Israel's camp, with the publick declaration of its use, was a sufficient warrant to every man, when bitten by a fiery serpent, to look unto it. But [...] if any looked without at all expecti…
Heard in the wild
“Imma keep it a buck. The Boys finale season hasn’t been good enough to warrant a theatrical finale. Like be for real”
— Bluesky· May 2026“A Round Rock ISD football coach has been arrested on a warrant from another county.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ok anime world, you have a woman looking for another frog woman to project herself into. They have to be a supporting cast member but cool/cute/funny enough to warrant showing up sometimes. Preferrably a thirty year old but I know that's unlikely :(”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Now playing: "Cherry Pie" by Warrant. DL our free app & listen at https://Jeffro.Radio”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Lake Holiday man arrested on Iowa sexual abuse warrant”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "warrant".
⚡About Tech, Dev & AI slang
The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.
See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "warrant" (W)
warehouwarezwarkloomwarphilewarplewarramboolwarrant officer class 1warrant officer class 2warrant of fitnessWarrenWarrickwarsh
Browse all slang words starting with W.