insure meaning and examples

2025-08-23

Meaning

  • Verb: To arrange for compensation in case of loss, damage, illness, or death, usually through a contract with an insurance company.

In American English, insure is often used interchangeably with ensure (to make certain), though traditionally insure relates to financial protection.

Grammar and Usage

  • Verb (transitive):

    • "to insure sth" → to protect financially against risk.
    • "to insure sb against sth" → to provide someone with insurance coverage.

Typical structures:

  • insure sth against loss/damage
  • insure sb against accidents
  • insure your house/car/life

Common Phrases

  • insure against loss
  • insure property
  • insure one’s life
  • fully insured
  • insure for a large amount

Collocations

  • Verb + insure: properly insure, fully insure, legally insure
  • Nouns: insure a car, insure a house, insure property, insure goods
  • Prepositions: insure against fire/theft/accidents

Examples

  1. You should insure your car against theft.
  2. The company insured its workers against accidents.
  3. He insured his house for half a million dollars.
  4. We need to insure our trip before we travel abroad.
  5. The painting was insured against damage during transportation.
  6. She insured her life to protect her family financially.
  7. Businesses often insure their property against natural disasters.
  8. The airline insures passengers against baggage loss.
  • cover, protect, guarantee, safeguard, underwrite.