insure

[in-shoor, -shur]

verb (used with object)

insured, insuring 

1. to guarantee against loss or harm.

   Synonyms: warrant

2. to secure indemnity to or on, in case of loss, damage, or death.

3. to issue or procure an insurance policy on or for.

4. ensure.

   Synonyms: assure

verb (used without object)

insured, insuring 

1. to issue or procure an insurance policy.

insure

/ ɪnˈʃʊə, -ˈʃɔː /

verb

1. (often foll by against) to guarantee or protect (against risk, loss, etc)

   we insured against disappointment by making an early reservation

2. (often foll by against) to issue (a person) with an insurance policy or take out an insurance policy (on)

   his house was heavily insured against fire

   after all his car accidents the company refuses to insure him again

3. another word (esp US) for ensure ensure

Other Word Forms

• insurability noun
• insurable adjective
• overinsure verb (used with object)
• preinsure verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of insure¹

1400–50; late Middle English; variant of ensure

Example Sentences

It is legal to ride an electric bike without a driving licence and they do not need to be registered, taxed or insured.

From BBC

"Auto manufacturers do not insure the world against harms caused by reckless drivers," the company said.

From BBC

It costs an average of $4,058 annually to insure an electric vehicle, compared with $2,732 for a traditional vehicle, according to the data.

From Los Angeles Times

However, the BBC understands the club currently have just five contracted players and that, as of Tuesday morning, they are not insured to train so a postponement of that game is possible.

From BBC

“The company said they won’t insure me again because because I filed a claim on my house,” he said, bewildered.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assure 
• cover 
• guarantee 
• hedge 
• safeguard 
• shield 
• underwrite 

When To Use

What's the difference between insure, ensure, and assure?

Insure typically means to guarantee against loss or harm or, more specifically, to cover with insurance. Ensure most commonly means to guarantee or make certain, as in Working hard ensures success. Assure usually means to tell someone something with confidence or to cause someone to know something with certainty—it often means the same thing as reassure.It’s no wonder there’s confusion between the three words—all three are verbs that are based on the Latin root sēcūrus, meaning safe. Making things even more confusing is the fact that ensure and insure can be used interchangeably in most senses. Still, insure is much more commonly used in the context of insurance, like car insurance, health insurance, and homeowner’s insurance. These kinds of insurance insure you—they give you coverage that provides you with compensation in certain cases and situations.Ensure is typically used in a more general way in the context of actions that are done to make sure that something happens or is the case, as in We need to ensure that the meeting starts on time.Assure is always used in the context of communication, especially in situations in which someone is trying to make someone else feel better about something. It’s used in the phrase rest assured.Here’s a quick cheat sheet to remember the most common uses of each word:insure = cover with insuranceensure = make sureassure = reassureHere’s an example of insure, ensure, and assure used correctly in a sentence.Example: She assured me that the company has ensured that every employee has the opportunity to be insured.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between insure, ensure, and assure.