a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
"The judge issued a warrant that commanded the police to execute the search immediately."
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"
formal and explicit approval
"a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement"
Authorization or certification; a sanction, as given by a superior.
"The judge issued a warrant to search the premises based on probable cause."
In plain English: A warrant is an official legal document that gives police officers permission to search a place, arrest someone, or seize property.
"The police had to get a warrant before they could search his house."
Usage: As a noun, warrant refers to an official document authorizing police action or providing legal justification for something. Do not confuse this with the verb form meaning to justify or support a claim based on evidence.
provide adequate grounds to justify (a certain course of action)
"The emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns"
To protect, keep safe (from danger).
"The thick walls of the fortress were built to warrant safety from invading armies."
In plain English: To warrant something means to have good reason for believing it is true or necessary.
"The police officer did not warrant further investigation after reviewing the evidence."
The noun warrant comes from the Middle English word for "protector" or "guard," which traveled into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French. Its ultimate roots lie in a Frankish verb meaning to fend off, evolving through centuries of use to signify assurance and authorization before entering modern English.