underwriter
Americannoun
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a person or company that underwrites policies of insurance or carries on insurance as a business.
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a person or company that underwrites shares or bonds.
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a person or organization that finances something; backer.
the underwriters of the ballet company.
noun
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a person or enterprise that underwrites public issues of shares, bonds, etc
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a person or enterprise that underwrites insurance policies
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an employee or agent of an insurance company who assesses risks and determines the premiums payable
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Etymology
Origin of underwriter
First recorded in 1610–20; underwrite + -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The U.S. remains the largest underwriter of humanitarian funding, but its allocation is down from more than $10 billion or more annually in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
The expanded plan now includes war hull risk, protection and indemnity, and cargo insurance, with Chubb as the lead underwriter.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Palantir’s direct public offering — meaning that the company sold its stock straight to the public without a Wall Street middleman underwriter — is a particular source of pride for Karp.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 25, 2025
That is because brokerage firms are allotted a certain percentage of the total offering from the underwriter and then divide the new shares among clients who have put in orders.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
He exercises his best judgment, but the home office underwriter is the court of last resort.
From White Ashes by Kennedy, Sidney R. (Sidney Robinson)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
