assurance
Americannoun
-
assurances
plural
-
a positive declaration intended to give confidence.
He received assurances of support for the project.
-
promise or pledge; guaranty; surety.
He gave his assurance that the job would be done.
-
full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty.
to act in the assurance of success.
- Antonyms:
- uncertainty
-
freedom from timidity; self-confidence; belief in one's abilities.
She acted with speed and assurance.
- Antonyms:
- uncertainty
-
presumptuous boldness; impudence.
- Synonyms:
- cheek, nerve, impertinence, effrontery
- Antonyms:
- uncertainty
-
Chiefly British. insurance.
noun
-
a statement, assertion, etc, intended to inspire confidence or give encouragement
she was helped by his assurance that she would cope
-
a promise or pledge of support
he gave an assurance of help when needed
-
freedom from doubt; certainty
his assurance about his own superiority infuriated her
-
forwardness; impudence
-
insurance providing for certainties such as death as contrasted with fire or theft
Usage
What does assurance mean? An assurance is a positive promise, pledge, or guarantee. It is intended to dispel the listener’s doubts and give them confidence. When we are worried about something, an assurance from a trusted source can ease our anxieties. If you’re nervous about a volcano erupting, a scientist could give you assurance that it’s not meant to blow for 500 more years. The assurance might help you feel more safe and certain. Example: When Marya’s teacher asked why she hadn’t submitted her assignment, Marya gave an assurance that the essay was on its way.
Synonym Usage
See trust. See confidence.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of assurance
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English ass(e)ura(u)nce, from Middle French ass(e)urance; equivalent to assure + -ance
Explanation
An assurance is a vote of confidence. If you give your friend an assurance that you'll be there, you'd better show up. If you pledge to do something or make a binding commitment to do it, you can use the noun assurance. If the bank is going to loan you money to buy a house, they are going to need some sort of assurance that you will repay the loan in a timely manner. If you have confidence in yourself and your abilities, you can also use assurance to describe that — "The baseball team played with assurance, quickly racking up a seven point lead."
Vocabulary lists containing assurance
Bud, Not Buddy
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Promises, Promises
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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.
See Examples For:
By the 1930s, that assurance belonged to history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
But typically, he said, there is a set process for getting contracts completed that gives him assurance that it will ultimately happen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"But partners are concerned that this assurance may not hold."
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
But, he said, he would not end his hunger strike unless the government gave him an assurance that no force or retaliatory action would be used against students.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
She bit her lip and stared at those eyebrows, and those brown eyes beneath them that looked at her with such love and assurance.
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
The company also introduced a new model for long-term agreements in March, calling these strategic customer agreements, or SCAs, that can improve its visibility into demand and offer customers some assurances of supply.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Britain's culture minister Lisa Nandy, meanwhile, opted not to intervene in the merger, saying she had secured "assurances and further legally-binding commitments" to ensure a diverse range of broadcasting and on-demand services in the country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Despite generous overtures to Stevens and assurances to the Jewish community El-Sayed made in remarks on Wednesday morning after the race was called, there are intraparty divisions left to heal.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
After repeated assurances he would hold on to the post, Starmer announced he would step down on 22 June - four days after Burnham won a Westminster seat.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
When little Vladimir finally relinquished her, with assurances that he was ‘desolated to leave so early’, she was ready to rest, and see how her recreant knight had borne his punishment.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
