FromMiddle Englishsurete, attested since the early 1300s in the sense "guarantee, promise, pledge, assurance", fromAnglo-Normanseurté/Old Frenchseurté with the same meaning (whence modernFrenchsûreté), fromLatinsēcūritās. Equivalent tosure +-ty. The senses "security, safety, stability" and "certainy" are attested since the late 1300s. "One who undertakes to pay if another does not" is from the early 1400s.Doublet ofsecurity.
surety (countable anduncountable,pluralsureties)
- Certainty.
- That which makes sure; that which confirms; ground of confidence or security.
1667,John Milton, “Book V”, inParadise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […];[a]nd by Robert Boulter […];[a]nd Matthias Walker, […],→OCLC; republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […],1873,→OCLC:[We] our happy state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;
On othersurety none.
- (law) Apromise topay a sum ofmoney in the event that another person fails to fulfill anobligation.
c.1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene i]:There remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more; insurety of the which
One part of Aquitaine is bound to us.
- (law) One who undertakes to pay money or perform other acts in the event that hisprincipal fails therein.
- Synonym:suretor
2024 March 20, “New York attorney general could soon move to seize Trump’s property”, inThe Guardian[1],→ISSN:Trump’s lawyers said two days ago that to post a bond covering the full amount of the $454m civil fraud judgment against him while he appeals was “a practical impossibility” after 30surety companies turned him down.
- Asubstitute; ahostage.
1782,William Cowper, “Conversation”, inPoems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […],→OCLC:...It happen’d on a solemn eventide,
Soon after He that was oursurety died,
Two bosom friends, each pensively inclined,
The scene of all those sorrows left behind,
Sought their own village, busied as they went
In musings worthy of the great event:
They spake of Him they loved, of Him whose life,
Though blameless, had incurr’d perpetual strife,
Whose deeds had left, in spite of hostile arts,
A deep memorial graven on their hearts...
- Evidence; confirmation; warrant.
c.1604–1605 (date written),William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act V, scene iii]:She called the saints tosurety,
That she would never put it from her finger,
Unless she gave it to yourself.
law: promise to pay on behalf of another
law: one who undertakes such promise
