1 insurance | Definition of insurance

insurance

noun
in路​sur路​ance | \ in-藞shu虈r-蓹n(t)s How to pronounce insurance (audio) , -藞sh蓹r- also 藞in-藢shu虈r-, -藢sh蓹r- How to pronounce insurance (audio) \

Definition of insurance

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the business of insuring persons or property
b : coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril
c : the sum for which something is insured
2 : a means of guaranteeing protection or safety The contract is your insurance against price changes. Frequent hand washing is good insurance against the common cold.
3 gambling : a side bet that a player in blackjack may place when the dealer's first faceup card is an ace

Note: An insurance bet can be up to half of a player's original bet. It wins at 2 to 1 odds if the dealer's cards add up to 21.

insurance

adjective

Definition of insurance (Entry 2 of 2)

: being a score that adds to a team's lead and makes it impossible for the opposing team to tie the game with its next score an insurance run

Examples of insurance in a Sentence

Noun

insurance against theft or damage She has a job in insurance. I work for an insurance company.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Workers' compensation benefits cover out-of-pocket costs that city insurance does not cover. Jen Fifield, azcentral, "Firefighter with cancer will get workers' compensation benefits from city," 5 Sep. 2019 The bad news was Emma鈥檚 insurance didn鈥檛 cover hearing aids. Kathleen King, The Mercury News, "Opinion: Support bill requiring health plans to cover hearing aids for kids," 1 Sep. 2019 Flood insurance also covers any damage from storm surge to coastal communities. Caroline Glenn, orlandosentinel.com, "With Hurricane Dorian, time to get insurance is closing fast," 29 Aug. 2019 Not all cyber insurance policies cover ransom payments. Renee Dudley, ProPublica, "The Extortion Economy: How Insurance Companies Are Fueling a Rise in Ransomware Attacks," 27 Aug. 2019 Shen said Shuidichou aims to offer timely help, since people living in lower-tier cities don鈥檛 often have good insurance policies. Echo Huang, Quartz, "Here are your four apps to understand China鈥檚 grassroots consumers," 21 Aug. 2019 The $133 million fund was set up by the state through bonding money and the $12 surcharge on homeowners insurance policies. Kathleen Mcwilliams, courant.com, "Crumbling foundations captive insurance company superintendent to step down," 16 Aug. 2019 All of which suggests that post-crisis bond insurance is not for the faint-hearted. The Economist, "The woes of bond insurers," 15 Aug. 2019 Under the proposal by Mayor Sam Liccardo, the insurance would cover any accidental discharge of a firearm and any intentional acts carried out by a person who has stolen or borrowed the gun. Andrew O'reilly | Fox News, Fox News, "San Jose mayor proposes first-in-nation insurance requirement for guns following mass shootings," 13 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insurance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of insurance

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1954, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for insurance

insurance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of insurance

: an agreement in which a person makes regular payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person is injured or dies, or to pay money equal to the value of something (such as a house or car) if it is damaged, lost, or stolen
: the amount of money a person regularly pays an insurance company as part of an insurance agreement
: the amount of money that a person receives from an insurance company

insurance

noun
in路​sur路​ance | \ in-藞shu虈r-蓹ns How to pronounce insurance (audio) \

Kids Definition of insurance

1 : an agreement by which a person pays a company and the company promises to pay money if the person becomes injured or dies or to pay for the value of property lost or damaged
2 : the amount for which something is insured
3 : the business of insuring persons or property

insurance

noun
in路​sur路​ance | \ in-藞shu虈r-蓹ns, 藞in-藢shu虈r- How to pronounce insurance (audio) \

Legal Definition of insurance

1 : the action, process, or means of insuring or the state of being insured usually against loss or damage by a contingent event (as death, fire, accident, or sickness)
2a : the business of insuring persons or property
b : coverage by contract whereby for an agreed payment one party agrees to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril
c : the principles and practice of the business of insuring
3 : the sum for which something is insured

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More from Merriam-Webster on insurance

Spanish Central: Translation of insurance

Nglish: Translation of insurance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of insurance for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about insurance