assure

verb as·sure \ ə-ˈshu̇r \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

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

However, even in an overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature, passage of Skinner’s proposal is far from assured.

— melody gutierrez, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stephon Clark killing prompts bid to open police disciplinary records," 9 Apr. 2018
Rest assured the series will be overhyped and the games will last longer than a day at the DMV.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "5 thoughts from the week in baseball: MLB needs to take action against Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo," 9 Apr. 2018
But the only way the Cougars can assure themselves a spot is to win out.

— jason mcdaniel, Houston Chronicle, "Baseball: Crosby craves momentum heading into stretch run," 9 Apr. 2018
The company is said to have retained private data from 87 million Facebook users despite having assured Facebook that the data was deleted.

— cyrus farivar, Ars Technica, "Steve Wozniak drops Facebook: “The profits are all based on the user’s info”," 9 Apr. 2018
With the loss, and Memphis' win over Detroit, Phoenix — at 20-61 — is assured the worst record in the NBA and, consequently, the most ping pong balls in the May 15 draft lottery.

— scott bordow, azcentral, "Thompson, Warriors beat Suns for 15th straight time," 8 Apr. 2018
Oklahoma City won in Houston, against a Rockets team already assured the best record in the NBA.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Playoff bid in their crosshairs, Spurs score big W," 8 Apr. 2018
United were being outclassed and if Raheem Sterling had been more assured City might have gone in at the break perhaps four goals ahead.

— john sinnott, CNN, "Manchester City stunned by rivals Manchester United in thrilling derby," 7 Apr. 2018
The company is committed to investing each year to develop state-of-the-art tooling and technology and assure that growth remains on track, Perez said.

— joseph a. mann jr., miamiherald, "Medley-based Eventstar builds big tents, and sales | Miami Herald," 6 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4

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assure Synonyms

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

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

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.

Law Dictionary

assure

transitive verb as·sure

legal Definition of assure

assured; assuring

1 chiefly British : insure

2 a : to inform positively

the seller assured the buyer of his honesty

b : to provide a guarantee of

Learn More about assure

See words that rhyme with assure Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for assure Spanish Central: Translation of assure Nglish: Translation of assure for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of assure for Arabic speakers

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assure

Definition of assure

Examples of assure in a Sentence

Recent Examples of assure from the Web

Origin and Etymology of assure

assure Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of assure

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ASSURE Defined for English Language Learners

assure

Definition of assure for English Language Learners

ASSURE Defined for Kids

assure

Definition of assure for Students

Law Dictionary

assure

legal Definition of assure

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