underwrite
Americanverb (used with object)
-
underwrites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underwrote,
past
-
underwritten,
past participle
-
underwriting
present participle
-
to write under or at the foot of, especially under other written matter.
-
to sign one's name, as to a document.
-
to show agreement with or to support by or as if by signing one's name to, as a statement or decision.
-
to bind oneself to contribute a sum of money to (an undertaking).
Wealthy music lovers underwrote the experimental concerts.
-
to guarantee the sale of (a security issue to be offered to the public for subscription).
-
Insurance.
-
to write one's name at the end of (a policy), thereby becoming liable in case of certain losses specified in the policy.
-
to insure.
-
to assume liability to the extent of (a specified sum) by way of insurance.
-
to select or rate (risks) for insurance.
-
verb (used without object)
-
underwrites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underwrote,
past
-
underwritten,
past participle
-
underwriting
present participle
-
to underwrite something.
-
to carry on the business of an underwriter.
verb
-
finance to undertake to purchase at an agreed price any unsold portion of (a public issue of shares, etc)
-
to accept financial responsibility for (a commercial project or enterprise)
-
insurance
-
to sign and issue (an insurance policy) thus accepting liability if specified losses occur
-
to insure (a property or risk)
-
to accept liability up to (a specified amount) in an insurance policy
-
-
to write (words, a signature, etc) beneath (other written matter); subscribe
-
to support or concur with (a decision, statement, etc) by or as if by signature
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
underwritesimple
-
underwritessimple
-
have underwrittenperfect
-
has underwrittenperfect
-
am underwritingprogressive
-
are underwritingprogressive
-
is underwritingprogressive
-
have been underwritingperfect progressive
-
has been underwritingperfect progressive
Past
-
underwrotesimple
-
had underwrittenperfect
-
was underwritingprogressive
-
were underwritingprogressive
-
had been underwritingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of underwrite
First recorded before 1400–50; late Middle English, translation of Latin subscrībere “to write underneath, sign, subscribe”; see origin at subscribe
Explanation
To underwrite is to insure or promise to be financially responsible in case of loss or damage. An insurance agent can underwrite your renter's insurance policy, which protects you if there's a fire or robbery, for example. Insurance companies can underwrite, estimating the value of a life or property, and so can large banks — when a bank underwrites a loan, it means they carefully check the borrower's credit history. The word underwrite comes from the Old English underwritan, "write at the foot of," and originally is exactly what underwriters did, signing their names at the bottom of an assessment of risk, promising to pay in case of disaster in exchange for a set amount of money.
Vocabulary lists containing underwrite
Fast Food Nation
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!
"Piracy Bites!" and "Doonesbury on Downloading"
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!
Words From the Final 2020 Presidential Debate
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:
"We are bringing the world's leading long-term capital providers together to independently underwrite AI infrastructure."
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Pantheon already had exposure to over 80% of the underlying portfolio companies, allowing the firm to underwrite and price the transaction quickly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
NBMs allow investors to underwrite a larger portion of the company’s earnings than prior commodity cycles have allowed, he explained, and that marks a “structural change” for the company’s EPS profile.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
“They want to underwrite on a deal by deal basis, they want to understand what they are investing in,” he says.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
It is possible for Princeton to underwrite all your expenses at the school if you qualify.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Democracy is the heart of our nation’s constitutional regime, and its health underwrites the Constitution’s own vitality.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Carvana underwrites its own loans, giving it an advantage to used car salesmen, reflected in its cars worth $500 to $1000 versus rivals after reconditioning, helped by its scale, Bellas said.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
“Affirm underwrites every application and we only approve people for what we believe they can responsibly afford to repay as Affirm never charges any late or hidden fees. We’re approaching this use case thoughtfully.”
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026
It underwrites a swath of specialized risks, including for natural disasters, shipping, aviation and cyberattacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Un′derwriter, one who insures, as shipping, so called because he underwrites his name for a certain amount to the conditions of the policy; Un′derwriting.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
The Insolvency Service, a branch of the Department of Business and Trade, ran the company and underwrote its losses after it collapsed in 2019.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
For more than a decade, she covered consumer lending broadly, with a focus on how lenders underwrote loans and borrowers' ability to repay them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
In late October, brokerage industry regulator Finra started conducting a “review of firm practices” at the multiple firms that underwrote small-cap foreign IPOs between 2023 and September of this year.
From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025
And it represents a sobering turnabout for a foundation so prolific at Columbia that it underwrote both the Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center.
From New York Times ● May 10, 2024
Howard embraced the idea, underwrote the entire cost, and arranged to have Ridgewood’s orchards, fields, and dairy supply the hospital with food.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Issuing $1.25 billion in common stock through an underwritten public offering, another $2 billion in an at-the-market offering and $3.75 billion in convertible preferred stock interests could widen the pool of shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Alphabet said it plans to issue $30 billion in concurrent underwritten public offerings consisting of $15 billion of mandatory convertible preferred stock and $15 billion in its class A and class C common equity.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
The US wants "a genuinely stable equilibrium" and wants to "preserve the conditions that have long underwritten peace and prosperity in this region", he added.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
His bandmates are pretty funny but so underwritten that one even gives a big speech about how he’s more than just a bit player in Rick’s life.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Lee had already underwritten the funeral and sent a wash basket of groceries to the stricken families.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
CoreWeave shows what that underwriting looks like when the hardware is reusable.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Instead, “this dividend is possible due to State Farm Mutual’s financial strength and a stronger than expected underwriting performance in 2025,” the company’s website said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
State Farm is the only major auto insurer to announce a dividend payout, citing its financial strength and a stronger-than-expected underwriting performance in 2025.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Early in the pandemic, as mortgage rates plunged, lenders competed for business by easing underwriting standards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Much of the rest went to underwriting the publication of books that few cared to own.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
