insure

Everyday

1. (money) To insure something is to pay a company a small amount regularly so that, if it is lost, damaged or stolen, the company pays you money. tree →
2. (money) To insure a person means to buy insurance that pays out if they are ill, hurt or die. tree →
3. To protect against a bad result: practising insures against mistakes (more often spelled «ensure» or «insure against» in US English). tree →
4. Insure can also mean to make certain that something will happen, especially something good. tree →

In the lessons

In adult life and money lessons: insure the car, insure the house, travel insurance. In stories: «Luckily the house was insured». It tells the reader there is a plan to pay for loss.

Examples

• Dad insures the car every year. tree →
• Is your bike insured against theft? tree →
• They insured the house against fire and floods. tree →
• We insured our luggage before the holiday. tree →
• The violin is insured for a lot of money. tree →
• Mum pays a monthly sum to insure our home. tree →
• Wearing a helmet is one way to insure against injury. tree →
• In conclusion, the voice assured her, that compliance with the above conditions would insure for her a safe return to the realms of light. tree →

Note

Noun: insurance; the money you pay is a premium. Trap: «insure» (cover with insurance) vs «ensure» (make sure) vs «assure» (tell someone confidently). In UK English «ensure» is used for «make sure»; in US English «insure» is sometimes used for it too. Maths: a premium is paid often (e.g. monthly), and the payout is only made if something goes wrong.