indemnification
Americannoun
-
the act of indemnifying; state of being indemnified.
-
something that serves to indemnify; compensation.
- Synonyms:
- indemnity, reparation, amends, payment
Usage
What does indemnification mean? Indemnification is the act of providing protection or security against potential damages or loss or compensating someone for damages or money spent. Indemnification is the act of indemnifying—providing indemnity. Indemnity is the protection. Insurance coverage indemnifies a person by insuring them for certain potential situations, such as damages to their property from natural disasters or accidents. Indemnification is commonly used in legal contracts to secure protection against being sued or held responsible for an accident. Indemnification can also refer to the state of being indemnified, or to the actual compensation paid. Example: Insurance companies are in the business of indemnification—you pay them a small amount so they can pay you a big amount if something bad happens.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indemnification
First recorded in 1725–35; indemni(ty) + -fication
Explanation
Did your dog eat your landlord's lawn furniture? Did your loud partying make your neighbors move out? You may find yourself paying an indemnification, meaning compensation for damages or distress. More often than not, an indemnification is usually arranged up-front as a form of insurance against bad things that might happen. For example, a film crew might agree to indemnification before being allowed to film in a particular location. Indemnification has the general sense of being a preventative action, something that protects against any future losses.
Vocabulary lists containing indemnification
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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Words with 15 or More Letters, List 3
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A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
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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.
They want the government to ensure that when the expropriation takes place, the indemnification payment is distributed amongst all residents and former residents.
From BBC • Aug. 16, 2025
Under Mexican law, such indemnification must be made within years.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2024
In other cases, police unions obtain indemnification agreements as part of their bargaining.
From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2023
The company's Copilot Copyright Commitment extends Microsoft's existing intellectual property indemnification coverage to copyright claims relating to the use of its AI-powered assistants called Copilots and Bing Chat Enterprise.
From Reuters • Sep. 7, 2023
Zavallos immediately lent a willing ear to this, and forthwith commenced an action of indemnification against the Conquistadores, who all happened at that time to be staying in the metropolis.
From The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 2 (of 2) Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain. by Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
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.
