insurance

1 of 2

noun

in·​sur·​ance in-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s How to pronounce insurance (audio)
-ˈshər-,
also
ˈin-ˌshu̇r- How to pronounce insurance (audio)
-ˌshər-
1
a
: 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

2 of 2

adjective

: 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
All of this began with Samyang Foods, founded in 1961 by Chun Joong-yoon, a former insurance company executive, amid severe post-war food shortages. Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Change Healthcare processes 15 billion medical claims a year, far more than any other company, and is a critical pipeline connecting health-care organizations with insurance companies who review their claims, pay for their services and determine the costs of care for patients. Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Washtenaw County Health Department: The MMR vaccine is available for adults or children without insurance for $23. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Life insurance scheme starts year before murder One year before Odom’s murder, court documents said Anderson submitted applications for life insurance under Brandy Odom’s name and claimed to be her sister to become a beneficiary. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Also, remember that insurance companies have their own specialist lawyers, often on staff. David Stubblefield, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 The vest also features the State Farm logo and a red zipper in a nod to the insurance company as well. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 When that effort proved challenging because of permitting and insurance issues, the city took over the site management and embarked on a multi-million-dollar renovation effort. Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 Many of the middle-market companies recognize there are gaps in their insurance coverage and preparedness. Lawrence Carrel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
That forced Mr Buffett to confirm that his heir apparent as chief executive is Greg Abel, 58, a trusted lieutenant who runs Berkshire’s non-insurance businesses. The Economist, 8 May 2021 Buffett said last May that Berkshire Vice Chairman Greg Abel, who currently oversees all of the conglomerate’s non-insurance businesses, is set to take over as CEO. Dallas News, 24 Feb. 2022 Greg Abel, who oversees all of Berkshire's non-insurance operations, bought roughly 168 Berkshire Class A shares worth about $68 million last week, SEC filings released late Monday show. Akane Otani, WSJ, 4 Oct. 2022 But the company has already announced that Greg Abel, the 60-year old vice chairman of all of Berkshire's energy and other non-insurance units, will eventually take over for Buffett. Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022 Buffett announced last year that vice chairman Greg Abel, who oversees Berkshire's energy, consumer and other non-insurance businesses, will eventually take over as Berkshire CEO. Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 30 Apr. 2022 Currently, Abel is responsible for Berkshire’s two largest operating companies, Berkshire Hathaway Energy and BNSF Railroad, as well as an assortment of relatively smaller and successful non-insurance companies. Laura Rittenhouse, Forbes, 5 May 2021 Further, the gradual improvement in the economic conditions will likely boost both the total premiums and the non-insurance revenues. Trefis Team, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2021 Buffett will be joined by Greg Abel, the company's vice chairman of non-insurance operations. Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 9 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insurance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insurance was in 1651

Dictionary Entries Near insurance

Cite this Entry

“Insurance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insurance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

insurance

noun
in·​sur·​ance
in-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s
1
a
: the business of insuring persons or property
b
: a contract by which someone guarantees for a fee to pay someone else for the value of property if it is lost or damaged (as through theft or fire) or to pay usually a specified amount for injury or death
c
: the amount for which something is insured
2
: a means of guaranteeing protection
take an umbrella as insurance against rain

Legal Definition

insurance

noun
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)
2
a
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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