# insure

/ˌɪnˈʃʊɹ/ (US) · /ɪnʃˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/insure
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. financial protection

verb · CEFR B2

to buy a policy that pays you money if something bad happens to your property or health.

For teachers: to arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of property, or injury to or the death of someone, in exchange for regular payments.

- It is important to insure your house against fire and flood damage.
- The company decided to insure the entire fleet of delivery vehicles against theft and accidental damage to mitigate potential operational losses.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'against' followed by the specific risk.

### 2. to make certain

verb · CEFR C1 · American English · Archaic

to make sure that something will happen.

For teachers: to make sure, certain, or safe; a variant spelling of 'ensure'.

- Please insure that all the windows are closed before you leave the building.
- The new safety protocols were designed to insure that no unauthorised personnel could access the laboratory after hours.

Usage: Followed by a 'that' clause.

Teaching tip: In modern English, 'ensure' is the standard spelling for this meaning; 'insure' is almost exclusively reserved for financial contexts.

## Examples

- You should insure your house against fire and theft.
- The shipping company refused to insure the cargo because it was not packed according to safety standards.
- While it is standard practice to insure a vehicle for its market value, some collectors choose to insure rare cars for an agreed-upon replacement cost to account for appreciation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.