Category:Surety

Sure"ty, n.; pl. Sureties. Etym: [oe. seurte, of. seürté, f. sûreté. See sure, security.]

1. The state of being sure; certainty; security. Know of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is Not theirs. Gen. xv. 13. For the more surety they looked round about. Sir p. Sidney.

2. That which makes sure; that which confirms; ground of confidence Or security. [we] our happy state hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds; On other surety none. Milton.

3. Security against loss or damage; security for payment, or for the Performance of some act. There remains unpaid a hundred thousand more; in surety of the which One part of aquitaine is bound to us. Shak.

4. (law)

Defn: one who is bound with and for another who is primarily liable, And who is called the principal; one who engages to answer for Another's appearance in court, or for his payment of a debt, or for Performance of some act; a bondsman; a bail. He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it. Prov. xi. 15.

5. Hence, a substitute; a hostage. Cowper.

6. Evidence; confirmation; warrant. [obs.] She called the saints to surety, that she would never put it from her Finger, unless she gave it to yourself. Shak.

Surety Sure"ty, v. t.

Defn: to act as surety for. [obs.] Shak.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Surety - One who becomes responsible for another. Christ is the surety of the better covenant (Hebrews 7:22). In him we have the assurance that all its provisions will be fully and faithfully carried out. Solomon warns against incautiously becoming security for another (Proverbs 6:1; Proverbs 11:15; Proverbs 17:18; Proverbs 20:16).