indemnify

verb

in·​dem·​ni·​fy in-ˈdem-nə-ˌfī 

indemnified; indemnifying

transitive verb

1

: to secure against hurt, loss, or damage

2

: to make compensation to for incurred hurt, loss, or damage

indemnifier

in-ˈdem-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

• compensate
• recompense
• recoup
• remunerate
• requite
• satisfy

Choose the Right Synonym for indemnify

pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something.

pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

Examples of indemnify in a Sentence

Again, let's look at auto insurance, which indemnifies the holder against loss. If a policy-holder's car is wrecked, the insurance company sends him a check for the value of the car … —John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, May–June 1992

We moved quickly, and the House approved an appropriation of $60,000 to indemnify Hamilton Jordan for his legal fees. —Tip O'Neill, in Man of the House, 1987

Likewise, the "sexagenarians law," which freed slaves over 60 years old, required those slaves to indemnify their masters, as did nearly every act of manumission. —Shepard Foreman, New York Times Book Review, 2 Nov. 1986

the company generously indemnifies workers who are injured on the job

Recent Examples on the Web

Adobe, which created a text-to-image generation system called Firefly, has offered to indemnify Firefly users from copyright infringement lawsuits. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 July 2023

Snyder had asked the N.F.L. to indemnify him from liability in outstanding and potential future legal disputes, but did not receive such protection. —Ken Belson, New York Times, 20 July 2023

Manning cited protection under the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, which is often used to indemnify law-enforcement officers from civil action and prosecution. —Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023

Some studios are telling dual DGA and WGA members that those duties are required of directors, and some are offering to indemnify hyphenates who continue to perform their directorial duties in the event the WGA pursues punishment for breaking its strike rules. —Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023

Gutierrez countered that the developers would indemnify the city and future residents and said Phoenix has routinely tried to bully its neighbor. —Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2023

The settlement deal indemnified Cisterra and CGA Capital against future litigation and called for Cisterra to return $7.5 million to the city. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2023

The terms don't identify what those entities are despite indemnifying them from legal liability. —Caitlin Ostroff, WSJ, 27 Feb. 2023

However, several aspects of the original deal could face renegotiation, including the equity stake GM would acquire, and the automaker is likely to make doubly sure to indemnify itself against any fines or costs that could emerge from the scandals now swirling around Nikola. —Paul A. Eisenstein, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2020

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Word History

Etymology

Latin indemnis unharmed, from in- + damnum damage

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

indemnify

verb

in·​dem·​ni·​fy in-ˈdem-nə-ˌfī 

indemnified; indemnifying

1

: to insure or protect against loss, damage, or injury

2

: to give something in order to make up for loss, damage, or injury

indemnify victims of a disaster

indemnification

-ˌdem-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun

Legal Definition

indemnify

transitive verb

in·​dem·​ni·​fy in-ˈdem-nə-ˌfī 

indemnified; indemnifying

1

: to secure against hurt, loss, or damage

2

: to compensate or reimburse for incurred hurt, loss, or damage

indemnifier noun

Etymology

Latin indemnis unharmed, from in- not + damnum damage