indemnity

American  

[in-dem-ni-tee] / ɪnˈdɛm nɪ ti /

noun

• indemnities
  plural

1. protection or security against damage or loss.

2. compensation for damage or loss sustained.

3. something paid by way of such compensation.

4. protection, as by insurance, from liabilities or penalties incurred by one's actions.

5. legal exemption from penalties attaching to unconstitutional or illegal actions, granted to public officers and other persons.

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indemnity British  

/ ɪnˈdɛmnɪtɪ /

noun

1. compensation for loss or damage; reimbursement

2. protection or insurance against future loss or damage

3. legal exemption from penalties or liabilities incurred through one's acts or defaults

4. (in Canada) the salary paid to a member of Parliament or of a legislature

5. an act of Parliament granting exemption to public officers from technical penalties that they may have been compelled to incur

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Usage

What does indemnity mean? Indemnity is protection or security against damage or loss, or compensation for damages or money spent. Insurance coverage provides indemnity to a person (or organization) by insuring them for certain potential situations, such as damages to their property from natural disasters or accidents. Indemnity is commonly used in legal contracts to secure protection against being sued or being held responsible for an accident. It’s often seen in the phrase indemnity clause. The verb form of indemnity is indemnify, which means to provide such protection or security, typically in the form of insurance. Outside the context of insurance, indemnity is sometimes used in a metaphorical way to mean protection, as in Your wealth does not provide indemnity from disease. Example: The whole purpose of car insurance is so that you have indemnity in case you get into an accident—buying insurance after an accident happens won’t cover you.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preindemnity
  noun
• anti-indemnity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• indemnities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of indemnity

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English indem(p)nite, from Middle French indemnité, from Latin indemnitāt-, stem of indemnitās “security from financial loss”; see origin at in- ³, damn, -i-, -ty ²

Explanation

Indemnity is protection against loss or harm — it is most often used in insurance. If you suffer an injury or there's damage to your house, an indemnity makes up for the loss — if it's part of your insurance. An indemnity may also keep something or someone from being held responsible for harm. Protection indemnity is mainly offered for unlikely events. If you regularly crash hot-air balloons, you won’t get indemnity for the next one you rent. In fact, the balloon rental company will probably demand their own indemnity in case you crash again.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

indemnity indemnities

The publisher has argued the claimant's side acted unreasonably during the case - a conduct clause which could trigger indemnity cover.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Offerings known as indemnity plans might pay only a set amount toward a medical service, leaving you on the hook for the rest of the cost.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

The added coverage External link includes new protection specifically related to wartime conditions in the form of war hull risk insurance, protection and indemnity, and cargo insurance.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

For Medicare Advantage customers, the extra insurance needed is coverage for hospital indemnity or specific major illnesses like cancer, so people don’t face high copays if they get sick.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2025

They were fiercely opposed to this particular settlement, in which they had to enumerate their crimes before receiving indemnity.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

"Recognising that UNRWA's financial situation remains dire, the agency took a decision which at least allows them to access financial resources rapidly, including separation indemnities."

From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026

So they scope out threats to their indemnities against weather and other disasters and ensure the cost of premiums reflects the odds of risk.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2023

Using temperature records and Department of Agriculture data on crop insurance payments, or indemnities, the researchers examined the relationship between insurance losses and temperature variations at the county level during all 26 growing seasons.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 6, 2021

Thus, many Germans felt they had been wronged twice: they had not “really” lost the war, yet they were forced to pay outrageous indemnities to the “victors.”

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

The Germans made the most of the proclamation and suggested a separate peace through countless agencies, in which Russia should not lose any territory inhabited by Russians and need not pay any indemnities.

From The Story of the Great War, Volume VI (of VIII) History of the European War from Official Sources by Francis J. (Francis Joseph) Reynolds

Related Words

• compensation
• repayment
• restitution