1 insure | Definition of insure
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

insure

verb
in·​sure | \ in-ˈshu̇r How to pronounce insure (audio) , -ˈshər-\
insured; insuring

Definition of insure

transitive verb

1 : to provide or obtain insurance on or for
2 : to make certain especially by taking necessary measures and precautions

intransitive verb

: to contract to give or take insurance
Other Words from insure Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Do you ensure or insure? Example Sentences Learn More about insure

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for insure

ensure, insure, assure, secure mean to make a thing or person sure. ensure, insure, and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee the government has ensured the safety of the refugees , while insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand careful planning should insure the success of the party , and assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind. I assure you that no harm will be done secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss. sent reinforcements to secure their position

Do you ensure or insure?

There is considerable confusion about whether ensure and insure are distinct words, variants of the same word, or some combination of the two. They are in fact different words, but with sufficient overlap in meaning and form as to create uncertainty as to which should be used when. We define ensure as “to make sure, certain, or safe” and one sense of insure, “to make certain especially by taking necessary measures and precautions,” is quite similar. But insure has the additional meaning “to provide or obtain insurance on or for,” which is not shared by ensure. Some usage guides recommend using insure in financial contexts (as in “she insured her book collection for a million dollars”) and ensure in the general sense “to make certain” (as in “she ensured that the book collection was packed well”).

Examples of insure in a Sentence

He found the language not obscene … but did find it intentionally disruptive, and held that school officials had the right to insure that a high-school assembly proceed in an orderly manner, without hoots and howls and all that snickering. — William Safire, New York Times Magazine, 24 Aug. 1986 … his sudden fame probably insured a backlash. — Calvin Tomkins, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 1982 The fact that by supplying his uncle with an amusing mistress he would insure against any awkward second marriage was merely a fortunate coincidence. — Mollie Hardwick, Emma, Lady Hamilton, 1969 We insured our house against fire and flood damage. I found a company that will insure my car for less than I've been paying. This policy will insure your car against theft. She had difficulty finding a company that would insure her. They take great care to insure the safety and security of their home. We hope that careful planning will insure success.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 Today the national park has put measures in place to assure that pastoralism can work alongside conservationism: Farmers are insured and compensated if one of their animals is preyed upon by a wolf. — National Geographic, "How to go wild in the French Riviera," 5 Aug. 2019 Reverse mortgages are insured by a special Federal Housing Administration fund, which is in the red more than $13.6 billion because of an increase of claims paid out to reverse mortgage lenders since the recession. — USA Today, "Seniors were sold a risk-free retirement with reverse mortgages. Now they face foreclosure.," 12 June 2019 Ferguson, a city of about 21,000 people, was insured through a cooperative of 25 municipalities called the St. Louis Area Insurance Trust, commonly referred to as SLAIT. — Topher Sanders, ProPublica, "A Lawsuit Over Ferguson’s “Debtors Prison” Drags On," 31 May 2019 Renters' policies cover only the renters' possessions; the landlord insures the building's structure. — CBS News, "What homeowners should know about dealing with hurricane damage," 3 Sep. 2019 The slippers had been insured for $1 million, but their true value, according to CNN last year, lies between $2-$3 million — or upwards of $5 million at auction. — Justin Curto, PEOPLE.com, "The Wizard of Oz's Ruby Slippers Became Iconic 80 Years Ago — And for Years, One Pair Was Lost," 25 Aug. 2019 And the emphasis on Jewish studies insures that other content is pushed out. — Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, "How the Religious Right Transformed Israeli Education," 23 Aug. 2019 The property was insured, and the residents can still live there. — Evan Frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'That could have been catastrophic': A sleeping family in Oconomowoc was saved after a passerby noticed a fire," 19 Aug. 2019 Going with a renowned pet insurance carrier like Nationwide, which has over 35 years of experience insuring pets, is always a safe bet. — Daisy Melamed Sanders, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know Before Adopting a Dog," 15 Aug. 2019

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

See More

First Known Use of insure

1635, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for insure

Middle English, to assure, probably alteration of assuren

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for insure

insure

verb
How to pronounce insure (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of insure

: to buy insurance for (something, such as property or health)
: to provide insurance for (something, such as property or health) also : to provide (someone) with insurance
US : to make (something) sure, certain, or safe

See the full definition for insure in the English Language Learners Dictionary

insure

verb
in·​sure | \ in-ˈshu̇r How to pronounce insure (audio) \
insured; insuring

Kids Definition of insure

1 : to give or get insurance on or for I insured my car.
2 : to make certain I want to insure your safety.

Other Words from insure

insurer noun

insure

verb
in·​sure | \ in-ˈshu̇r

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!