assure

[ uh-shoor, uh-shur ]

verb (used with object)

, as·sured, as·sur·ing.

1. to declare earnestly to; inform or tell positively; state with confidence to:

   She assured us that everything would turn out all right.

2. to cause to know surely; reassure:

   He assured himself that no one was left on the bus.

3. to pledge or promise; give surety of; guarantee:

   He was assured a job in the spring.

4. to make (a future event) sure; ensure:

   This contract assures the company's profit this month.

5. to secure or confirm; render safe or stable:

   to assure a person's position.

6. to give confidence to; encourage.
7. Chiefly British. to insure, as against loss.

assure

/ əˈʃʊə /

verb

1. to cause to feel sure or certain; convince

   to assure a person of one's love

2. to promise; guarantee

   he assured us that he would come

3. to state positively or with assurance
4. to make (an event) certain; ensure
5. to insure against loss, esp of life
6. See convey
   property law another word for convey

Derived Forms

• asˈsurable, adjective
• asˈsurer, noun

Other Words From

• as·surer as·suror noun
• inter·as·sure verb (used with object) interassured interassuring
• preas·sure verb (used with object) preassured preassuring
• unas·suring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of assure¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English as(e)uren, assuren, from Old French aseurer, from Late Latin assēcūrāre, from Latin as- as- + sēcūr(us) ( secure ) + -āre, infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of assure¹

C14: from Old French aseürer to assure, from Medieval Latin assēcūrāre to secure or make sure, from sēcūrus secure

Example Sentences

But, Kornell assures you, “by the time week two rolls around, it becomes a normal thing.”

From Science News For Students

That makes sense, since being in the index assures companies an extra influx of money from index funds.

From Fortune

Both assure nothing is going to spill out, even in Class V whitewater.

From Outside Online

In response, he assured them that 100% of the money would be used for the wall.

From Fortune

While hotels have been inconsistent in following their own cleaning standards due to reduced staffing, they are better at assuring travelers that they, in fact, are following those new policies, Harteveldt said.

From Fortune

Nobody can assure anybody and some of these authorities at the crematorium have very little background in science.

From The Daily Beast

There will be an early vote on the Keystone XL pipeline, which enough Democrats support to assure passage.

From The Daily Beast

In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free—honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve.

From The Daily Beast

I assure you there isn't a single local businessman who doesn't know the name Germán Goyeneche.

From The Daily Beast

Having known a few presidents myself, I can assure you that there is little time to truly unwind, even on “vacation.”

From The Daily Beast

I assure you, no matter how beautifully we play any piece, the minute Liszt plays it, you would scarcely recognize it!

From Project Gutenberg

And we will also settle and assure the particular rights and interests of every planter and adventurer.

From Project Gutenberg

Ha—assure you we quite understand; no necessity to say another word about it.

From Project Gutenberg

He is very silent—he sometimes sits for ten minutes without speaking; I assure you it is n't amusing.

From Project Gutenberg

But I can assure your Majesty with entire truth that the need of your treasury is so pressing now that it is incomparable.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• confirm
• ensure
• guarantee
• insure
• secure

Assure Vs. Ensure Vs. Insure

What's the difference between assure, ensure, and insure?

Assure usually means to tell someone something with confidence or to cause someone to know something with certainty—it often means the same thing as reassure. Ensure most commonly means to guarantee or make certain, as in Working hard ensures success. Insure typically means to guarantee against loss or harm or, more specifically, to cover with insurance.

It’s no wonder there’s confusion between the three words—all three are verbs that are based on the Latin root sēcūrus, meaning safe. Making things even more confusing is the fact that ensure and insure can be used interchangeably in most senses. Still, insure is much more commonly used in the context of insurance, like car insurance, health insurance, and homeowner’s insurance. These kinds of insurance insure you—they give you coverage that provides you with compensation in certain cases and situations.

Ensure is typically used in a more general way in the context of actions that are done to make sure that something happens or is the case, as in We need to ensure that the meeting starts on time.

Assure is always used in the context of communication, especially in situations in which someone is trying to make someone else feel better about something. It’s used in the phrase rest assured.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to remember the most common uses of each word:

assure = reassure
ensure = make sure
insure = cover with insurance

Here’s an example of assure, ensure, and insure used correctly in a sentence.

Example: She assured me that the company has ensured that every employee has the opportunity to be insured.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between assure, ensure, and insure. 

Quiz yourself on assure, vs. ensure, vs. insure!

Should assure, ensure, or insure be used in the following sentence?

We need to take action to _____ that this never happens again.