indemnify
Americanverb (used with object)
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indemnifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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indemnified,
past participle, past
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indemnifying
present participle
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to compensate for damage or loss sustained, expense incurred, etc.
- Synonyms:
- repay, reimburse, recompense
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to guard or secure against anticipated loss; give security against (future damage or liability).
verb
-
to secure against future loss, damage, or liability; give security for; insure
-
to compensate for loss, injury, expense, etc; reimburse
Usage
What does indemnify mean? To indemnify is to insure someone against potential damages or loss or to compensate someone for damages or money spent. Insurance coverage indemnifies a person by insuring them for certain potential situations, such as damages to their property from natural disasters or accidents. Indemnify is commonly used in legal contracts to secure protection against being sued or held responsible for an accident. The noun form of indemnify is indemnity, which refers to such protection and is often used in phrases like indemnity clause. Example: The whole purpose of car insurance is to indemnify you in case you get into an accident—buying insurance after an accident happens won’t cover you.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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indemnifysimple
-
indemnifiessimple
-
have indemnifiedperfect
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has indemnifiedperfect
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am indemnifyingprogressive
-
are indemnifyingprogressive
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is indemnifyingprogressive
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have been indemnifyingperfect progressive
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has been indemnifyingperfect progressive
Past
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indemnifiedsimple
-
had indemnifiedperfect
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was indemnifyingprogressive
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were indemnifyingprogressive
-
had been indemnifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of indemnify
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin indemni(s) “without loss” ( see indemnity) + -fy
Explanation
To pay compensation for a loss, damages, or similar expense is to indemnify. "The insurance company indemnified its customers for their claims after the severe storm — one customer lost three cars, a row boat, and a golf cart." The verb indemnify also means to secure against future loss. The farmers bought insurance to indemnify themselves and their animals against catastrophic loss. The word indemnify comes from the Latin word indemnis, which means "to unhurt." The city wanted to shut down an old local landmark because they were afraid it no longer met modern safety standards, but local citizens wanted it to remain. In a compromise, the owners agreed to indemnify the city against possible loss and the landmark was allowed to remain.
Vocabulary lists containing indemnify
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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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:
He also didn’t feel comfortable signing the liability waiver that would indemnify the federal government and contractors in the event of mistakes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
Earlier this month, Mr Jeffries sued A&F after it refused to pay his criminal defence costs, arguing the brand had agreed to indemnify him for all claims arising out of his position.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2024
“We’re going to indemnify them against any prosecutions.”
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2024
In the case of policing, many state and local governments have laws in which they agree to indemnify police officers for lawsuits.
From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
At the Academy, we’d found out that this phrase was basically a legal requirement that you shouted out to indemnify yourself when you were, for whatever reason, applying a bit of extra force.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
The settlement indemnifies Uber from future disability claims concerning its wait fee system — but it’s far from the only disability claim facing the company.
From The Verge ● Jul. 18, 2022
Cast insurance is common on Hollywood productions and indemnifies producers for any losses or extra expenses to complete principal photography due to the death, injury or illness of any insured artist or director.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2021
“Section 230” is a reference to a 1996 federal law that broadly indemnifies tech platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google for the actions of their users.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2020
The act also gives the Director of National Intelligence and Attorney General power to permit obtaining intelligence information, and indemnifies internet companies against any actions arising as a result of co-operating with authorities' requests.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 6, 2013
But how that same forbearing world indemnifies itself on poor Mrs. Peony!
From Kate Coventry An Autobiography by G. J. Whyte-Melville
Britain's finance ministry said on Wednesday Bank of England intervention in the government bond market was needed to tackle "significant volatility" and market dysfunction, and any losses would be fully indemnified by the government.
From Reuters ● Sep. 28, 2022
It added that the plan would be fully indemnified by the Treasury and that the purchases would be "time limited".
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2022
Of Kerouac’s sad, sodden later years, he writes: “From the time that Kerouac completed ‘On the Road,’ he was indemnified against ever making — or having made — a serious mistake in his life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
In New Mexico, proponents of that state’s bill said it became clear it would fail if law enforcement officers and other government employees were not indemnified from lawsuits.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 6, 2021
We saw some odd-looking folks there, which indemnified us a little for spinach dressed with lamp-oil, and red asparagus fried with curdled milk.
From Napoleon's Letters to Josephine by Henry Foljambe Hall
The archdiocese “has obligations to some of those individuals which may include indemnifying legal fees for representation,” Archbishop William Lori said in a Nov. 22 statement.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 2022
The fund covers all users of South African roads against injuries sustained or death in motor vehicle accidents, indemnifying those who cause the accident, as well as providing personal injury and death insurance to victims.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2020
There are aspects of urban exploration that leave me deeply uneasy, and that cannot be fended off by indemnifying gestures of self-awareness on the part of its practitioners.
From The New Yorker ● May 23, 2019
The difficulties arise often because the agreements people sign are purposely vague and there is indemnifying language in the fine print, according to Domenic Romano, another entertainment lawyer.
From New York Times ● Aug. 20, 2018
The Council did not think it decorous to speak of "indemnifying" the King and rejected the bills.
From The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation Volume 1 by Charles Roger
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.
