assurance

American  

[uh-shoor-uhns, -shur-] / əˈʃʊər əns, -ˈʃɜr- /

noun

• assurances
  plural

1. a positive declaration intended to give confidence.

   He received assurances of support for the project.

2. promise or pledge; guaranty; surety.

   He gave his assurance that the job would be done.

   Synonyms:

   oath, warranty

3. full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty.

   to act in the assurance of success.

   Antonyms:

   uncertainty

4. freedom from timidity; self-confidence; belief in one's abilities.

   She acted with speed and assurance.

   Antonyms:

   uncertainty

5. presumptuous boldness; impudence.

   Synonyms:

   cheek, nerve, impertinence, effrontery

   Antonyms:

   uncertainty

6. Chiefly British. insurance.

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assurance British  

/ əˈʃʊərəns /

noun

1. a statement, assertion, etc, intended to inspire confidence or give encouragement

   she was helped by his assurance that she would cope

2. a promise or pledge of support

   he gave an assurance of help when needed

3. freedom from doubt; certainty

   his assurance about his own superiority infuriated her

4. forwardness; impudence

5. insurance providing for certainties such as death as contrasted with fire or theft

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Usage

What does assurance mean? An assurance is a positive promise, pledge, or guarantee. It is intended to dispel the listener’s doubts and give them confidence. When we are worried about something, an assurance from a trusted source can ease our anxieties. If you’re nervous about a volcano erupting, a scientist could give you assurance that it’s not meant to blow for 500 more years. The assurance might help you feel more safe and certain. Example: When Marya’s teacher asked why she hadn’t submitted her assignment, Marya gave an assurance that the essay was on its way.

Synonym Usage

See trust. See confidence.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preassurance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• assurances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of assurance

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English ass(e)ura(u)nce, from Middle French ass(e)urance; equivalent to assure + -ance

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Explanation

An assurance is a vote of confidence. If you give your friend an assurance that you'll be there, you'd better show up. If you pledge to do something or make a binding commitment to do it, you can use the noun assurance. If the bank is going to loan you money to buy a house, they are going to need some sort of assurance that you will repay the loan in a timely manner. If you have confidence in yourself and your abilities, you can also use assurance to describe that — "The baseball team played with assurance, quickly racking up a seven point lead."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assurance assurances

State regulators and ratepayers want assurance that a data center requesting infrastructure from a utility will be on the hook on the investment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Earlier this week, the Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones said the electronic monitoring regime had "not kept pace" and could create "a false sense of assurance" unless failing are addressed.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Fiji police is taking seriously the concerns raised by the government. And I give my assurance we are tackling this investigation with utmost urgency," Tudravu added.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

“People want to have so much assurance that the other person is going to say yes before they do anything,” says Grace Lee, a New York City-based dating coach and matchmaker.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Mr. Washington took their hands, squeezed them in assurance, and escorted them into the courtroom.

From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper

Responding to questions about its marketing, Synetal Solutions said: "We acknowledge the 'guarantee' wording in the emails supplied and recognise that contractual terms alone do not resolve concerns about those assurances."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Later in the call, Moynihan was asked to address "reputational confidence" after BofA's earlier assurances suggested the financial hit would not be significant.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

And it's even harder to imagine a situation where that was not the de facto position even if a team boss had been given assurances they would be left alone.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

However, the official said Iran would need to be given explicit assurances that Israel wouldn’t attack again after any agreement between Washington and Tehran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

Despite my assurances that we'd be at the house shortly, everyone followed us to the prison.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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Related Words

• affirmation
• assertion
• guarantee
• pledge
• promise
• security
• support
• word

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