Link Centre Dictionary

insure

in·sure

UK/ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/ US/ɪnˈʃʊə(ɹ)/ uncommon dated us

verb

1.

be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something

  • “He verified that the valves were closed”
  • “See that the curtains are closed”
  • “control the quality of the product”
2.

make certain of

  • “This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us”
  • “Preparation will guarantee success!”
3.

protect by insurance

  • “The insurance won”
4.

take out insurance for

Origin

First attested in c. 1440, as a variant of Middle English ensuren (from Anglo-Norman enseurer, itself from Old French en- + seür (“sure”), probably influenced by Old French asseürer (“to assure”)); took on its particular sense of "make safe against loss by payment of premiums" in 1635, replacing assure. Doublet of ensure.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.