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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
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.
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
In simple terms, float is created for insurance companies because insurance premiums are paid before any claims are made by the insured.
—Bill Stone, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Until more patients are insured, Crimmins said, the state should subsidize Uber and Lyft trips for less prosperous Georgians who need help reaching medical care in Atlanta.
—Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
Customers’ savings and checking accounts amounting to $47.1 million were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which paid off their losses.
—Martha Mendoza, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for insure 
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Cite this Entry
“Insure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insure. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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insure
verb
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insure
verb
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