Adjacent Words

Ensure definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENSURE, and its derivatives. [See Insure.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: make certain of; "This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us"; "Preparation will guarantee success!" [syn: guarantee, ensure, insure, assure, secure]
2: be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; "He verified that the valves were closed"; "See that the curtains are closed"; "control the quality of the product" [syn: see, check, insure, see to it, ensure, control, ascertain, assure]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (ensured; ensuring) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French ensurer, alteration of assurer — more at assure Date: 1660 to make sure, certain, or safe ; guarantee Synonyms: ensure, insure, assure, secure mean to make a thing or person sure. ensure, insure and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee <the government has ensured the safety of the refugees>, while insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand <careful planning should insure the success of the party>, and assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind <I assure you that no harm will be done>. secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss <sent reinforcements to secure their position>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (often foll. by that + clause) make certain. 2 (usu. foll. by to, for) secure (a thing for a person etc.). 3 (usu. foll. by against) make safe. Derivatives: ensurer n. Etymology: ME f. AF enseürer f. OF aseürer ASSURE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Insure In"sure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Insured; p. pr. & vb. n. Insuring.] [OE. ensuren, prob. for assuren, by a change of prefix. See 1st In-, and Sure, and cf. Assure, Ensure.] [Written also ensure.] 1. To make sure or secure; as, to insure safety to any one. 2. Specifically, to secure against a loss by a contingent event, on certain stipulated conditions, or at a given rate or premium; to give or to take an insurance on or for; as, a merchant insures his ship or its cargo, or both, against the dangers of the sea; goods and buildings are insured against fire or water; persons are insured against sickness, accident, or death; and sometimes hazardous debts are insured.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ensure En*sure", v. t. 1. To make sure. See Insure. 2. To betroth. [Obs.] --Sir T. More.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ensures, ensuring, ensured) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. To ensure something, or to ensure that something happens, means to make certain that it happens. (FORMAL) Britain's negotiators had ensured that the treaty which resulted was a significant change in direction... ...the President's Council, which ensures the supremacy of the National Party. VERB: V that, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Make secure, render certain, make sure.

Moby Thesaurus

arm, armor, arrange, ascertain, assure, attest, back, be sponsor for, bless, bond, certify, champion, cinch, clear up, clinch, cloak, compass about, confirm, copyright, countersecure, cover, cushion, decide, defend, determine, dismiss all doubt, effect, endorse, establish, fence, fend, find out, fix, get at, guarantee, guaranty, guard, harbor, haven, insure, keep, keep from harm, make certain, make no doubt, make no mistake, make safe, make sure, make sure of, nail down, nestle, patent, police, protect, provide, reassure, register, remove all doubt, ride shotgun for, safeguard, screen, secure, see that, see to it, set at rest, set out, settle, shelter, shield, shroud, sign, sign for, sort out, sponsor, stand behind, stand up for, subscribe to, undersign, underwrite, warrant