personal guarantee

USAGE SUMMARY

"personal guarantee" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to refer to a promise made by an individual to take responsibility for something, often a debt or agreement. Example: The landlord required a personal guarantee from each tenant before signing the lease. In this sentence, "personal guarantee" refers to the promise made by each individual tenant to be responsible for paying their portion of the rent and following the terms of the lease agreement.

✓ Grammatically correct

Formal & Business

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Many financial institutions offer signature loans based on the person's personal guarantee to repay the amount borrowed.

Huffington Post

The lawyer did recommend that Ms. Hunter get a personal guarantee from the buyer.

The New York Times

had not heard of the Russian bank, Mr. Pacolli gave a personal guarantee, vouching for it.

The New York Times

Creditors rejected the offer of partial repayment from Mallya, who had given a personal guarantee for the Kingfisher loan.

The Guardian

Under a personal guarantee he made to the former owners, Thomas still owes them part of their purchase price.

The New York Times - Sports

We tried to establish a line of credit with our bank, but everybody wanted a personal guarantee.

The New York Times

Suddenly, there was no business, and Ms. Hunter learned the hard way that there were no assets backing up the personal guarantee she had obtained.

The New York Times

"Everything has subsided, because Mr. Grodd gave his personal guarantee, and the owner of Dishes gave his permission: 'You all can eat here again,' " Smith said.

The New Yorker

And as with any personal guarantee, this one is likely to affect your credit score and your ability to borrow money outside the business.

The New York Times

Standard clients must pay in full before material is delivered, and the business owner will be asked for a personal guarantee, he said.

The New York Times

"What is a surprise is that Kara Noble, as the copyright owner, chose to publish it, and at the betrayal of a personal guarantee and a previous friendship".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In a strictly legal context within the United States, consider if the specific document requires the variant spelling "personal guaranty", though the two are often used interchangeably in general business writing.

Common error

A frequent error is assuming that signing a contract as a company officer automatically excludes a "personal guarantee". Writers often miss the fact that many lenders require a separate signature or a specific clause that binds the individual's personal assets regardless of the company's limited liability status.

Linguistic Context

In the corpus analyzed by Ludwig, "personal guarantee" functions as a compound noun phrase. It typically serves as the direct object of verbs like 'provide', 'require', 'sign' or 'give'. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness as a standard way to describe a secondary promise to be liable for the debt of another.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

25%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Academia

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "personal guarantee" is a robust and grammatically correct term essential for business and financial discourse. As verified by Ludwig, the phrase is ubiquitous in high-tier journalism and legal documentation. It represents a significant legal commitment that transcends corporate boundaries, making it a high-stakes term in any contract. Whether you are reading about real estate deals in The New York Times or startup funding on TechCrunch, "personal guarantee" consistently refers to an individual's pledge of assets to secure a third-party obligation. Ludwig AI suggests that while synonyms like "personal surety" exist, the main query remains the most standard and widely understood choice for writers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

personal guaranty

Uses the traditional legal spelling often preferred in American commercial law documentation

personal surety

Employs a more technical legal term referring to the person who takes responsibility for another's debt

individual guarantee

Emphasizes the person's status as a private individual rather than a corporate entity

personal indemnity

Focuses specifically on the obligation to compensate for loss or damage

personal undertaking

Uses a more formal term often found in British legal contexts to denote a solemn promise

private assurance

Less formal and suggests a moral or non-binding commitment rather than a legal one

unlimited personal liability

Describes the legal state resulting from such an agreement rather than the agreement itself

individual covenant

Highly formal, identifying the commitment as a specific clause within a larger contract

personal collateral

Refers specifically to the assets pledged to back the promise rather than the promise itself

solemn promise

Vague and non-technical, used in general conversation rather than professional documentation

FAQs

How do I use "personal guarantee" in a sentence?

You can use it as a direct object in sentences like, "The bank required a "personal guarantee" before approving the business line of credit.", or as a subject like, "A "personal guarantee" puts your own assets at risk."

Is it "personal guarantee" or "personal guaranty"?

Both are correct. While "personal guarantee" is more common in general news and international English, ""personal guaranty"" is a standard technical term in American legal and financial sectors.

What is the difference between a "personal guarantee" and "collateral"?

A "personal guarantee" is a general promise to pay, whereas "collateral" refers to specific assets, like a house or car, that a lender can seize if the debt is not paid.

Can I use "personal assurance" in business documents?

It is better to avoid it in legal contexts. Use "personal guarantee" for legally binding debts and "personal assurance" for informal or non-financial promises.