[ ɪn'ʃʊə ]
■ verb
1》 arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of (property, life, or a person), in exchange for regular payments to a company.
↘secure the payment of (a sum) in this way.
2》 ( ~ someone against ) protect someone against (a possible eventuality).
3》 another term for ensure .
Derivatives
insurability noun
insurable adjective
~r noun
Origin
ME: alt. of ensure .
Usage
There is considerable overlap between the meaning and use of ~ and ensure . In both British and US English the primary meaning of ~ is ‘arrange for compensation in the event of damage or loss’; ensure is not used at all in this sense. For the general senses, ~ and ensure are often interchangeable, but ~ tends to be more common in US English.