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.
Insure vs ensure vs assure
Example: Insure in a sentence Example: Ensure in a sentence Example: Assure in a sentence
  • Insure your valuables against theft.
  • Please ensure that you take all your belongings with you.
  • I assure you that the problem has been resolved.
  • Ensure your valuables against theft.
  • Please assure that you take all your belongings with you.
  • I insure you that the problem has been resolved.
  • Assure your valuables against theft.
  • I ensure you that the problem has been resolved.

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.

Examples: Insure in a sentence
You can insure your phone against accidental damage, but it is very expensive.

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.

Examples: Insure meaning “make certain”
This is a necessary measure to insure/ensure the safety of our children.

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.”

Examples: Ensure in a sentence
Ensure that you follow the university’s guidelines for citing sources in your assignment.

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.”

Examples: Assure in a sentence
The mayor will assure the public that the water is now safe at a meeting this evening.

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.

Examples: Assure meaning “make certain”
The initiative aimed to assure well-paying jobs in the region through greater investment.

Environmentals are calling for protection measures to assure the survival of the species.

Note
In British English, the noun assurance is used to refer to a life insurance policy that covers someone’s whole life (e.g. I took out a life assurance policy when I was 20 years old”).

Frequently asked questions about insure vs ensure vs assure

What does rest assured mean?

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.

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Tom Challenger, BA

Tom holds a teaching diploma and is an experienced English language teacher, teacher trainer, and translator. He has taught university courses and worked as a teacher trainer on Cambridge CELTA courses.