indemnify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to compensate for damage or loss sustained, expense incurred, etc.
- Synonyms:
- repay, reimburse, recompense
-
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
-
indemnifysimple
-
indemnifiessimple
-
have indemnifiedperfect
-
has indemnifiedperfect
-
am indemnifyingprogressive
-
are indemnifyingprogressive
-
is indemnifyingprogressive
-
have been indemnifyingperfect progressive
-
has been indemnifyingperfect progressive
Past
-
indemnifiedsimple
-
had indemnifiedperfect
-
was indemnifyingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
What you end up doing with that knowledge, we hereby indemnify ourselves of, formally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024
I am also going to indemnify our police officers.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 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
And yes, there were precautions administrators took to indemnify themselves against all eventualities.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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
It breaks out in half-veiled sarcasms, by which he cynically indemnifies himself for his ignoble yielding to the constraint which they put upon him.
From Expositions of Holy Scripture : St. Matthew Chaps. IX to XXVIII by Maclaren, Alexander
But another person said Snyder’s desire to be indemnified against future legal liability and costs remains a major issue.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 7, 2023
Halls is seeking to be indemnified against Baldwin and the other crew members, as well as compensation for any damages he may be liable for if Mitchell wins her case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2022
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
Although he had paid the duties to the Chief, and he, by word only, had indemnified him, not one farthing of the duties was returned, not one penny of the costs paid.
From The Last Laird of MacNab An Episode in the Settlement of MacNab Township, Upper Canada by Various
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 California Assisted Living Assn. joined other healthcare groups in an April 9 letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign an executive order indemnifying facilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 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
Walid annexed this part, indemnifying the Christians elsewhere, and restored the whole building sumptuously and magnificently.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 "Calhoun" to "Camoens" by Various
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.
