insurance

American  

[in-shoor-uhns, -shur-] / ɪnˈʃʊər əns, -ˈʃɜr- /

noun

• insurances
  plural

1. the act, system, or business of insuring property, life, one's person, etc., against loss or harm arising in specified contingencies, as fire, accident, death, disablement, or the like, in consideration of a payment proportionate to the risk involved.

2. coverage by contract in which one party agrees to indemnify or reimburse another for loss that occurs under the terms of the contract.

3. the contract itself, set forth in a written or printed agreement or policy.

4. the amount for which anything is insured.

5. an insurance premium.

6. any means of guaranteeing against loss or harm.

   Taking vitamin C is viewed as an insurance against catching colds.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a score that increases a team's lead and insures that the lead will be held if the opposing team should score once more.

   The home run gave the team an insurance run, making the score 7-5.

insurance British  

/ ɪnˈʃʊərəns, -ˈʃɔː- /

noun

1. 1. the act, system, or business of providing financial protection for property, life, health, etc, against specified contingencies, such as death, loss, or damage, and involving payment of regular premiums in return for a policy guaranteeing such protection

   2. the state of having such protection

   3. Also called: insurance policy. the policy providing such protection

   4. the pecuniary amount of such protection

   5. the premium payable in return for such protection

   6. ( as modifier )

      insurance agent

      insurance broker

      insurance company

2. a means of protecting or safeguarding against risk or injury

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noninsurance
  noun
• preinsurance
  noun
• proinsurance
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• insurances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of insurance

First recorded in 1545–55; insure + -ance

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Explanation

Insurance is a contract where you pay a little money at a time so you can be compensated later, especially in the case of a disaster. Many people consider insurance to be making a kind of bet that bad things will happen: that's a good bet to make, because nobody is lucky forever. Legally, you need car insurance to drive. Without medical insurance, a serious illness could leave you broke. Life insurance is important so your family gets support when you die. House or apartment insurance will help if you have a fire. Insurance agents sell insurance policies, and they always have lots of customers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insurance insurances

Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league is keeping an eye on developments surrounding Walter’s insurance empire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

He could generate a significant share of the more than $20 billion he might need to recapitalize the insurance companies and satisfy state regulators.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

The Binance hack shines a light through the holes in cybersecurity on crypto exchanges and the insurance coverage they may or may not have.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

In that sense, the deal “is partly insurance for Marvell,” something that could help it avoid “slowly losing ground as the technology shifts,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

As originally conceived, in 2003, the subprime mortgage credit default swap was a one-off, nonstandard insurance contract, struck between Morgan Stanley and some other bank or insurance company, outside the gaze of the wider market.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

She feels that responsible carriers often get "tarred with the same brush" as unauthorised companies, even though she is paying out for licences, insurances and tip fees.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

It said it would waive payments of "tariffs" and "Iranian insurances" for ships passing during the 60 days.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

Actor James Woods, who lost his home in the Palisades fire, tweeted Tuesday that “one of the major insurances companies canceled all the policies in our neighborhood about four months ago.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025

The act only covers health insurance, excluding long-term, disability, life, and other insurances.

From Science Daily ● May 2, 2024

For a few days Milena asked all her acquaintances what a bank was, and at last she was informed that it was like insurances, one of those modern inventions made to enrich the rich.

From The Pobratim A Slav Novel by P. Jones

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Related Words

• allowance
• coverage
• guarantee

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