assure vs ensure vs insure :

assure or ensure or insure

To “assure” a person of something is to make him or her confident of it. According to Associated Press style, to “ensure” that something happens is to make certain that it does, and to “insure” is to issue an insurance policy. Other authorities, however, consider “ensure” and “insure” interchangeable. To please conservatives, make the distinction. However, it is worth noting that in older usage these spellings were not clearly distinguished.European “life assurance” companies take the position that all policy-holders are mortal and someone will definitely collect, thus assuring heirs of some income. American companies tend to go with “insurance” for coverage of life as well as of fire, theft, etc.

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Definitions
  assure
  • v  make certain of
  • v  inform positively and with certainty and confidence
  • v  assure somebody of the truth of something with the intention of giving the listener confidence
    I assured him that traveling to Cambodia was safe
  • v  be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
  • v  cause to feel sure; give reassurance to
    The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe
  • v  make a promise or commitment
  ensure
  • v  make certain of
    This nest egg will ensure a nice retirement for us
  • v  be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
  insure
  • v  be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
  • v  make certain of
  • v  protect by insurance
  • v  take out insurance for
News & Articles
  assure
  • Police, CPS plan to expand ‘Safe Passage’
    The Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools are taking steps to assure parents their children will be safe on their way to and from school this year. Members of both police and CPS scheduled a news conference for Friday …
    June 14, 2013 - WGN TV Chicago
  • FDA safety communication: Cybersecurity for medical devices and hospital networks
    Purpose: The FDA is recommending that medical device manufacturers and healthcare facilities take steps to assure that appropriate safeguards are in place to reduce the risk of failure due to cyberattack, which could be initiated by the introduction of malware into the medical equipment or unauthorized access to configuration settings in medical devices and hospital networks.
    June 14, 2013 - Health Management Technology
  • I&E Maintenance Engineer
    This position is responsible for providing instrument and electrical engineering expertise to the West Memphis Site This position is to assure proper design, installation and repair of instrument and electrical equipment according to regulatory and standards.
    June 14, 2013 - Rigzone
  ensure
  • Volkert tells Bessemer council the firm can help ensure minority participation in building city hall, rec facility
    Volkert Engineering told the Bessemer City Council Tuesday that they can help ensure a high level of minority representation in the building of two large municipal buildings -- a new city hall and a recreational facility in Roosevelt Park.
    June 14, 2013 - Birmingham News
  • Teams ensure iPad playbook are safe and secure
    Given the recent disclosure (which many of us already assumed) that in post-9/11 America the government can and does monitor a lot of the stuff we do, the secrecy-obsessed NFL has even more reason to ensure that its confidential information is secure. Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com addresses the steps teams take to protect the extensive…
    June 13, 2013 - NBC Sports: ProFootballTalk
  • Laos must ensure return of disappeared civil society leader
    A new briefing examines the case of Sombath, an activist from Laos who was taken away in the presence of security personnel on the evening of December 15, 2012 and has not been heard from since. June 13, 2013 International The Lao government must act now to ensure the safe return of civil society leader Sombath Somphone, who is most likely a victim of an enforced disappearance at the hands of ...
    June 13, 2013 - Amnesty International
  insure