ensure
verb
transitive verb
Did you know?
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”).
Synonyms
- assure
- cinch
- guarantee
- guaranty
- ice
- insure
- secure
Example Sentences
Paul Cartledge, History Today, July 2004 Indeed, even though she's been off the mainstream radar for more than a decade, her passionate love for and commitment to rock & roll have ensured that she's managed to make a steady living. Tom Sinclair, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2000 At 20, [Kobe] Bryant is already living the modern American dream, a $70 million man on the NBA's glamour team in the nation's starriest city. His acrobatic moves make him the envy of teenage boys and his good looks and megawatt smile a heartthrob for teenage girls, ensuring his status as one of the NBA's premier pitchmen … Allison Samuels et al., Newsweek, 31 May 1999 They took steps to ensure the safety of the passengers. regulations that ensure the wholesomeness of our food Awi Federgruen, STAT, 16 Sep. 2022 Although this finalization is crucial and indicative of a successful transition, Ethereum developers and researchers will continue to monitor the network for hours to ensure the proof-of-stake blockchain is stable and healthy. Taylor Locke, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2022 Employees of those organizations will be surveyed, anonymously and regularly, to ensure that proper workplace culture is in place. CBS News, 13 Sep. 2022 Employees of those organizations will be surveyed, anonymously and regularly, to ensure that proper workplace culture is in place. Tim Reynolds, ajc, 13 Sep. 2022 Plus, its super stretchy polyester-and-spandex blend is temperature regulating to ensure everyone is comfy. Karla Pope, Woman's Day, 10 Sep. 2022 To ensure the British throne is never vacant, Charles, the Queen's eldest son, automatically became King today. Katie Frost, Town & Country, 8 Sep. 2022 Women should speak with their gynecologist to ensure physical activity is safe during pregnancy, Mayo Clinic said. Megan Marples, CNN, 7 Sep. 2022 And to ensure that 100% of California’s electricity is noncarbon by 2045, there’ll be interim targets of 90% by 2035 and 95% by 2040. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, from Anglo-French ensurer, alteration of assurer — more at assure
1660, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
ensure
verb
ensure
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- assure
- guarantee
- insure
- secure
- guaranty
- ice
- cinch
- promise
- certify
- witness
- vouch
- warrant
- attest
- pledge
- swear
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- undermine
- weaken
- enfeeble
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of ensure are assure, insure, and secure. While all these words mean "to make a thing or person sure," ensure, insure, and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee.
The meanings of assure and ensure largely overlap; however, assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind.
Although the words insure and ensure have much in common, insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand.
The words secure and ensure can be used in similar contexts, but secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss.