ensure

[en-shoor, -shur]

verb (used with object)

ensured, ensuring 

1. to secure or guarantee.

   This letter will ensure you a hearing.

2. to make sure or certain.

   measures to ensure the success of an undertaking.

3. to make secure or safe, as from harm.

   Synonyms: safeguard, guard, protect

4. insure.

ensure

/ -ˈʃɔː, ɛnˈʃʊə /

verb

1. (may take a clause as object) to make certain or sure; guarantee

   this victory will ensure his happiness

2. to make safe or secure; protect

Other Word Forms

• ensurer noun
• unensured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensure¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ensuren, from Anglo-French enseurer; en- ¹ ( def. ), sure ( def. )

Example Sentences

The new deal will ensure that tax falls to 15% next year, the U.S.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They set the enforcement date for after the holiday season to ensure that families, who travel less often, learn about the change.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this month, a spokesman for Job&Talent said: "We prioritise the rights, welfare, and safety of our workers and maintain regular communication to ensure they feel supported."

Read more on BBC

“We are working with our airline customers to support the modification of less than 100 remaining aircraft to ensure they can be returned to service,” the plane maker said.

Read more on MarketWatch

“We are working with our airline customers to support the modification of less than 100 remaining aircraft to ensure they can be returned to service,” the plane maker said.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• assure 
• establish 
• insure 
• protect 
• provide 
• safeguard 
• secure 

When To Use

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

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. 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.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:ensure = make sureinsure = cover with insuranceassure = reassureHere’s an example of ensure, insure, and assure 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 ensure, insure, and assure.