assure

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verb as·sure \ə-ˈshu̇r\

Definition of assure

assured

;

assuring

transitive verb
1 : to make sure or certain : convince glancing back to assure himself no one was following
2 : to inform positively I assure you that we can do it.
3 : to make certain the coming or attainment of : guarantee worked hard to assure accuracy
4 : to make safe (as from risks or against overthrow) : insure assured the security of the country
5 : to give confidence to And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts … — 1 John 3:19 (King James Version)

See assure defined for English-language learners

See assure defined for kids

Examples of assure in a Sentence

I can assure you that you won't be disappointed.
a minister choosing just the right words to assure the grieving parents of the fallen soldier

Recent Examples of assure from the Web

The Piazzas also asked for people to be fired, including one who assured parents there was no hazing at Penn State, and the athletics department official who was living at the chapter house and was there the night of Piazza’s death.

— susan svrluga, Washington Post, "Their son died after fraternity hazing. Now they’re asking Penn State to change its frat culture.", 2 June 2017
The business works because the shop can rest assured that, so long as those bringing in the cars own them, the shop is free to repair and resell those vehicles.

— brian fung, chicagotribune.com, "Supreme Court ruling on printer cartridges changes what it means to buy almost anything", 1 June 2017
Nothing at all is assured, but what logic would there be to surrendering now?

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "Vahe Gregorian: Nothing to be gained by Royals fire sale now", 31 May 2017
Also, ready-to-eat food was made then kept for more than a day without being the date being marked to assure it’s not kept too long.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Rodent poop breaks up Taco Tuesday; 4 restaurants shut down", 30 May 2017
But the service is commensurate — assured, agreeable and far from stuffy.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "NM Cafe is classy and tasty, with some distractions en route", 30 May 2017
The club might have been sending a signal to its slumping — and benched — third baseman, Chase Headley, or assuring its restive fan base that there was no need to panic because help was on the way.

— wallace matthews, New York Times, "With the Offense Still on Hiatus, the Yankees Eke Out a Win", 27 May 2017
Locally, the GOP seems on the verge of going extinct in King County, which would all but assure the party couldn’t win a race for statewide office such as governor.

— danny westneat, The Seattle Times, "Democrats are supposed to be fighting back, but they just keep losing", 26 May 2017
Clinton acknowledged this painful reality in her speech Friday, but assured graduates that being at her alma mater was the right place to return after her loss.

— anna diamond, The Atlantic, "Hillary Clinton’s Wellesley Homecoming", 26 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assure'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of assure

Middle English, from Anglo-French asseurer, assurer, from Medieval Latin assecurare, from Latin ad- + securus secure

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of assure

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

ASSURE Defined for English Language Learners

assure

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verb

Definition of assure for English Language Learners

: to make (something) certain
: to tell someone in a very strong and definite way that something will happen or that something is true

ASSURE Defined for Kids

assure

play

verb as·sure \ə-ˈshu̇r\

Definition of assure for Students

assured

;

assuring

1 : to give certainty, confidence, or comfort to He assured the children all was well. She assured herself that the doors were locked.
2 : to inform positively I assure you that you won't be disappointed.
3 : to provide a guarantee of assure their safety Hard work assures success.