underwriter

American  

[uhn-der-rahy-ter] / ˈʌn dərˌraɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or company that underwrites policies of insurance or carries on insurance as a business.

2. a person or company that underwrites shares or bonds.

3. a person or organization that finances something; backer.

   the underwriters of the ballet company.

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underwriter British  

/ ˈʌndəˌraɪtə /

noun

1. a person or enterprise that underwrites public issues of shares, bonds, etc

2. 1. a person or enterprise that underwrites insurance policies

   2. an employee or agent of an insurance company who assesses risks and determines the premiums payable

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Etymology

Origin of underwriter

First recorded in 1610–20; underwrite + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The stalemate was broken when the lead underwriter agreed to continuing covering the airline for a more modest increase in its premium, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Bellis, who works as a mortgage underwriter, wanted to be closer to her parents because she has a child and needed more space.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

Jefferies Financial Group, the lead underwriter on the bond offering, boasted at the time that it was one of the biggest junk-rated deals ever completed for a retailer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

Investigators say that participants often tell an underwriter to allocate most of an IPO’s shares to a handful of accounts in the name of foreign nationals.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

The cruel parent in the case of Ronald Vane was exemplified by an exceedingly worthy and kind-hearted gentleman, who followed the profession of underwriter at Lloyd’s.

From Big Game A Story for Girls by Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.

Related Words

• backer
• benefactor
• guarantor
• promoter