Insure vs Ensure vs Assure | Difference & Examples
The meanings of the verbs insure, ensure and assure overlap in some contexts, but you cannot always use them interchangeably.
- Use insure in the context of insurance policies (i.e., financial agreements with an insurance company).
- Use ensure to mean “make certain.”
- Use assure to mean “say with confidence” in order to persuade someone that something is true.
Example: Insure in a sentence | Example: Ensure in a sentence | Example: Assure in a sentence |
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The verbs insure, ensure, and assure are regular verbs.
What does insure mean?
The verb insure is used in the context of insurance policies (i.e., agreements with insurance companies that protect you against risk).
If you insure your laptop computer against theft, for example, then your insurance company will give you a sum of money if it is stolen.
The company will insure my house with a policy that includes the risk of flooding.
In American English, the verb insure is also sometimes used to mean “make certain,” especially by taking action to deal with a situation.
When used in this way, it is a synonym for the verb ensure.
The bank needs to address how it will insure/ensure full compliance with the new regulations.
What does ensure mean?
The verb ensure means “to make certain or safe” or “to guarantee.”
Robust health and safety measures ensure the safety of all our workers.
These investments will ensure the company’s success going forward.
What does assure mean?
The verb assure means “to convince,” or “to say with confidence” in order to persuade someone that something is true.
“Assure” is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object. So, it is often followed by an object pronoun or person’s name. It is also often used with the subordinating conjunction “that.”
The customer says we assured her the delivery would arrive today.
The verb assure is also sometimes used to mean “make certain or safe.”
When used like this, it is a synonym for the verb ensure.
Environmentals are calling for protection measures to assure the survival of the species.
Frequently asked questions about insure vs ensure vs assure
- What does rest assured mean?
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You use the expression rest assured to tell someone that they can be certain or confident about something:
- “You can rest assured that the project will be finished on time.”
- “Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to help.”
This phrase always uses the verb “assure” (not to be confused with “insure” or “ensure”).
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using phrases like “rest assured” correctly.