insurance

noun

Save Word

in·sur·ance | \ in-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s

, -ˈshər- also ˈin-ˌshu̇r-, -ˌshər-

Definition of insurance

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril

b : the business of insuring persons or property

c : the sum for which something is insured

2 : a means of guaranteeing protection or safety The contract is your insurance against price changes. Frequent hand washing is good insurance against the common cold.

3 gambling : a side bet that a player in blackjack may place when the dealer's first faceup card is an ace

Note: An insurance bet can be up to half of a player's original bet. It wins at 2 to 1 odds if the dealer's cards add up to 21.

insurance

adjective

Definition of insurance (Entry 2 of 2)

: being a score that adds to a team's lead and makes it impossible for the opposing team to tie the game with its next score an insurance run

Examples of insurance in a Sentence

Noun insurance against theft or damage She has a job in insurance. I work for an insurance company.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Atlas Development began converting buildings between West Virginia Street and the railroad tracks into offices for insurance companies, tech firms and other businesses. — Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A six-story, 79-unit apartment building is planned for a Walker's Point former tannery. It's the final phase of River Place Lofts.," 4 May 2021 Many times, it’s because a lot of mental health providers don’t file with insurance companies. — Washington Post, "Medical reimbursements don’t have to be a hassle. Use this simple system to get organized.," 4 May 2021 Yet to this point, President Biden has focused his health-care efforts on giving hundreds of billions of dollars to insurance companies. — Philip Klein, National Review, "BidenCare Means Giving Hundreds of Billions to Insurance Companies," 3 May 2021 Unlike many of its peers, Apollo designed its credit offerings with insurance companies in mind, Mr. Rowan said. — Miriam Gottfried, WSJ, "For Apollo’s New CEO, Insurance Is In—Racy Buyouts, Not So Much," 2 May 2021 Only 24 states explicitly require private insurance companies to cover gender-affirming treatment, according to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. — Dan Avery, NBC News, "Gender-affirming surgery linked to better mental health, study finds," 1 May 2021 On July 1, more than three months before Villereal entered his guilty plea, a trio of insurance companies sued Blackhawk, Wibracht and other seeking to collect on a roughly $100,000 judgment obtained against the company in 2018. — Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, "The rise and fall of a San Antonio apartment developer," 29 Apr. 2021 So far, insurance companies have overwhelmingly come out on top in these kind of cases, Levine said. — Laura Romero, ABC News, "Universities, other institutions suing insurers for not covering COVID-19 losses," 27 Apr. 2021 The story began when two insurance companies had a dispute. — Joshua Stein, Forbes, "Arbitration Awards – Maybe Not As Confidential As You Think," 27 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective In 2018, Abel was named vice chairman and put in charge of the company's non-insurance businesses. — CBS News, "Meet the man who will succeed Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway," 3 May 2021 Abel, who previously led Berkshire’s sprawling energy empire, was picked to oversee all the non-insurance businesses, while Jain ran the insurers. — Warren Buffett, Fortune, "Warren Buffett names his likely successor," 3 May 2021 Gregory Abel, the 59-year-old lieutenant who oversees Berkshire’s non-insurance operations. — BostonGlobe.com, "Greater Boston chamber hires Crockett as program consultant," 3 May 2021 And Munger explained that Abel, 59, who currently oversees the company’s non-insurance operations, would carry on that spirit. — Washington Post, "Warren Buffett confirms Berkshire Hathaway successor, ending years of speculation," 3 May 2021 The 90-year-old Buffett told CNBC that if anything happened to him, Abel, who currently oversees all of Berkshire's non-insurance companies, would be the one to take the top post. — Josh Funk, Star Tribune, "When Buffett is gone, Abel will take over as Berkshire CEO," 3 May 2021 The figures don’t provide a complete picture of what the CEO and some other executives actually receive from USAA because the reports don’t include compensation from the non-insurance parts of its business. — Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, "Former USAA CEO Stuart Parker receives more than $6 million golden parachute," 5 Mar. 2021 The deal also highlights the work of one of Buffett’s key deputies, Greg Abel, who led the energy business for years and is now chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Energy alongside his role as Berkshire’s vice chairman for all non-insurance businesses. — Katherine Chiglinsky, Fortune, "Warren Buffett’s Berkshire ends its deal drought," 6 July 2020 The deal also highlights the work of one of Buffett’s key deputies, Greg Abel, who led the energy business for years and is now chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Energy alongside his role as Berkshire’s vice chairman for all non-insurance businesses. — Katherine Chiglinsky, Bloomberg.com, "Buffett Sticks to Comfort Zones With His Dominion Energy Deal," 6 July 2020

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

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Last Updated

6 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Insurance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurance. Accessed 8 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for insurance

insurance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of insurance

: an agreement in which a person makes regular payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person is injured or dies, or to pay money equal to the value of something (such as a house or car) if it is damaged, lost, or stolen

: the amount of money a person regularly pays an insurance company as part of an insurance agreement

: the amount of money that a person receives from an insurance company

See the full definition for insurance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

insurance

noun

in·sur·ance | \ in-ˈshu̇r-əns

Kids Definition of insurance

1 : an agreement by which a person pays a company and the company promises to pay money if the person becomes injured or dies or to pay for the value of property lost or damaged

2 : the amount for which something is insured

3 : the business of insuring persons or property

insurance

noun

in·sur·ance | \ in-ˈshu̇r-əns, ˈin-ˌshu̇r-

Legal Definition of insurance

1 : the action, process, or means of insuring or the state of being insured usually against loss or damage by a contingent event (as death, fire, accident, or sickness)

2a : the business of insuring persons or property

b : coverage by contract whereby for an agreed payment one party agrees to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril

c : the principles and practice of the business of insuring

3 : the sum for which something is insured

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