ensure
Americanverb (used with object)
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ensures,
present (3rd person singular)
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ensured,
past participle, past
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ensuring
present participle
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to make certain or sure; guarantee
this victory will ensure his happiness
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to make safe or secure; protect
Usage
What's the difference between ensure, insure, and assure? Ensure most commonly means to guarantee or make certain, as in Working hard ensures success. Insure typically means to guarantee against loss or harm or, more specifically, to cover with insurance. Assure usually means to tell someone something with confidence or to cause someone to know something with certainty—it often means the same thing as reassure. It’s no wonder there’s confusion between the three words—all three are verbs that are based on the Latin root sēcūrus, meaning safe. Making things even more confusing is the fact that ensure and insure can be used interchangeably in most senses. Still, insure is much more commonly used in the context of insurance, like car insurance, health insurance, and homeowner’s insurance. These kinds of insurance insure you—they give you coverage that provides you with compensation in certain cases and situations. Ensure is typically used in a more general way in the context of actions that are done to make sure that something happens or is the case, as in We need to ensure that the meeting starts on time. Assure is always used in the context of communication, especially in situations in which someone is trying to make someone else feel better about something. It’s used in the phrase rest assured. Here’s a quick cheat sheet to remember the most common uses of each word:ensure = make sureinsure = cover with insuranceassure = reassureHere’s an example of ensure, insure, and assure used correctly in a sentence. Example: She assured me that the company has ensured that every employee has the opportunity to be insured. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between ensure, insure, and assure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ensuresimple
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ensuressimple
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have ensuredperfect
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has ensuredperfect
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am ensuringprogressive
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are ensuringprogressive
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is ensuringprogressive
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have been ensuringperfect progressive
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has been ensuringperfect progressive
Past
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ensuredsimple
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had ensuredperfect
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was ensuringprogressive
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were ensuringprogressive
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had been ensuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ensure
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ensuren, from Anglo-French enseurer; see en- 1 ( def. ), sure ( def. )
Explanation
When you ensure that something will happen, you guarantee it. All that homework will ensure that you have no time for fun this afternoon! Ensure comes from the Old French en- "make" plus seur "sure," and that is exactly what it means today - "to make sure or certain, to guarantee." If you ensure success or someone's safety, you are guaranteeing it. Make sure you can really come through with something before you ensure it!
Vocabulary lists containing ensure
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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:
Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, said the process to appoint Lagarde's successor would begin immediately to ensure a "smooth transition".
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Police Scotland says the plan, titled Operation Amberlight, is intended to ensure the safety of the public and emergency services.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
“The accumulation of more information will help the committee determine the policy stance appropriate to ensure a timely return of inflation to the committee’s 2% goal,” it said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
As arrests soared, Taylor worked to place the district attorney’s decisions under unprecedented scrutiny, saying he wanted to ensure that the prosecution of task force cases was as aggressive as the task force itself.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
“And second, why tell truth to those not yet prepared to receive it? The riddles ensure that we tell our secrets to those who have already learned how to think.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
The Card Before You Leave scheme ensures young people experiencing a mental health crisis who present at a hospital's emergency department are given a written appointment with specialists before leaving.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Licensing each song ensures musicians and rights holders are paid, and lets people request the songs they’ve been dying to sing, from emo deep cuts to Puccini operas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
And the interest on your balance ensures that even if you stop making purchases, your debt will grow.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
When it comes to travel or concert tickets, ordering everything on one card ensures that you get to sit with your friends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
This process ensures that it’s different from all the other numbers on the list.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
The Postal Service has mostly ensured the timely delivery of hundreds of millions of ballots, even as mail volume overall has dropped 50% from its high in 2006.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
But the spurt ensured overall sales beat analysts’ forecasts, and the group has been bullish over the category’s growth prospects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Turkey will keep its own troops in Syria and Iraq until border security with its two neighbours has been fully ensured, Defence Minister Yasar Guler told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Linster discovered one of the only two known examples and ensured it was available for scientific research.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Life as the son of Richard Boyle was never easy physically, even if it ensured total financial security.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
In September the UN Security Council approved a six-month extension of the mandate for the GSF, emphasizing "the importance of ensuring security conditions conducive to holding free and fair elections."
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Redick said he had previously had conversations with Vanderbilt about ensuring he would be in a position to succeed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Tied for second place among top concerns was ensuring public safety and building more affordable housing, selected by 29% each.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
"We are committed to ensuring all children are safe from radicalisation and threats online," they said.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
For years Soviet grandmasters had competed only against one another, ensuring that the championship would remain in the hands of the Soviet Union.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
