life insurance

American

noun

insurance providing for payment of a sum of money to a named beneficiary upon the death of the policyholder or to the policyholder if still living after reaching a specified age.

life insurance British

noun

another name for life assurance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of life insurance

First recorded in 1800–10

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.

Their analysis found the market for private placement life insurance was about $40 billion.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

“The transaction represents an important step in our ambition to become a leading U.S. life insurance and retirement group,” Aegon Chief Executive Lard Friese said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

“My brothers and I are willing to split the cost of life insurance for her, if we can find a policy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Whole life insurance is one option for a legacy and covering funeral expenses.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Often, as in the case of term life insurance prices, the information existed but in a woefully scattered way.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023