En geni~ anlamda olarak teminat siie ~mesi deyimi, bir kimsenin ba~kasznzn kar~zsmda bulundugu tehlikeyi kendi iizerine almasznz ongoren biitiin sozle~meler i{:in kullamlmaktadzr. Tehlike ( riziko) ise, ortaya pkmasz ~iipheli fakat {:ekinilen ve ekonomik bakzmdan yararlz bir olaym ger{:ekle~memesi ihtimalidir. i~te teminat sozle~melerinde bor{:lu, b~kaszmnkar~zsznda bulundugu bir zarar tehlikesini iizerine almaktadzr. Teminat sozle~melerinden (les contrats de surete: die Sicherungsvertriige) bir ta~zmr, t~znmaz, alacak veya i#etme iizerinde rehin tesisi yiikiimliiliigiinii i{:erenler, alacaklzya aynf bir teminat saglamaga yonelmektedirler; bunlar teslim, tescil veya alacagm temliki yahut rehin cirosu gibi bir tasarruf muamelesiyle ifa edilince alacaklz lehine bir aynf hak dogar ve rehinli alacaklz bor{:luya veya ii{:iincii bir ki~iye ait belli bir mal iizerinden oncelikle alacagznz kar~zlamak imkfinma sahip olur. Sahsf teminat sozle~melerinde, ~ahsf teminat veren, bor{:lunun borcunun kar~zlzgzm te~kil etmek iizere haczi kabil biitiin malvarlzgz ile yiikiimliiliik altzna girmektedir. Bunlarzn b~lzcalarz kefalet (le cautionnement: die Biirgschaft), garanti sozle~mesi, birlikte bor{: iistlenme (borca katzlma), sigorta sozle~mesi, teminat sozle~mesi olma niteligi tartz~malz olan itibar emri ve belgeliakreditiftir. 

The term "guaranty contract", in general, covers all contracts according to which a person takes over a risk faced by another person. A risk is the possibility of an event which is economically detrimental to occur.Some of the guaranty contracts include the obligation to place a pledge upon a movable, an immovable, a credit or an enterprise and thus provide the creditor with a guaranty in kind. When they are fulfilled (implemented) by a delivery, by registration, by transfer of claims or endorsement of pledge, the creditor acquires a real right and the creditor will be able to collect the debt with priority from certain property belonging to the debtor or to a third person.In contracts ofpersonal guaranty, the personal guarantor will be liable with all his distrainable patrimony. Principal kinds of such contracts are cautionment, contract of guaranty, joint debt, insurance contract, documentary letter ofcredit and order ofcredit whose legal character is controversial.