insurance

noun in·sur·ance \ in-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s , -ˈshər- also ˈin-ˌshu̇r- , -ˌshər- \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Definition of insurance

1 a : the business of insuring persons or property

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

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.

See insurance defined for English-language learners

See insurance defined for kids

Examples of insurance in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of insurance from the Web

Quote Wizard’s study is also conducted because, according to the site, bad drivers can drive up the costs of insurance in the state.

— daniel wilson, sacbee, "Sacramento drivers are among worst in U.S., study says. Why ‘things are looking up’," 12 July 2018
Daniel Hudson gave up a solo home run in the seventh, but the hitters cancelled that out when Chris Taylor supplied a two-out RBI single as insurance in the eighth.

— andy mccullough, latimes.com, "Kenta Maeda fans nine to secure Dodgers' 4-2 win over Padres," 12 July 2018
In addition to coaching duties, the 28-year-old Fair has also reportedly been working as an insurance sales agent for Senior Healthcare Direct, per a bio posted on the company's website.

— gentry estes, The Courier-Journal, "Former Louisville assistant coach Jordan Fair is back coaching in AAU," 12 July 2018
Zhao needs Will's OK for the insurance company to sign off on covering the top half of the building.

— bill goodykoontz, azcentral, "'Skyscraper:' Big, dumb and kind of fun, thanks to Dwayne Johnson and Neve Campbell," 12 July 2018
Nearly 389,000 people in Pennsylvania and 275,000 in New Jersey bought insurance for 2018 through the health law’s marketplace, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

— sarah gantz, Philly.com, "What adding Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court could mean for abortion rights and the ACA," 10 July 2018
The protracted nuisance of having to deal with the police officer, then the traffic court, and then the insurance company.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "Driving Without a Smartphone," 10 July 2018
In a variety of cases, Kavanaugh has historically ruled in favor of large business, including telecommunication companies, insurance companies, cable companies, and the auto industry.

— abigail simon, Time, "President Trump Picked Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Who Is He?," 10 July 2018
Paid family leave, first and foremost, and the continuation of the Affordable Care Act, which supports breastfeeding by requiring insurance companies to cover breast pumps and certain employers to provide pumping breaks and lactation rooms.

— jen gann, The Cut, "Trump Would Love to Declare a Mommy War," 10 July 2018

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.

First Known Use of insurance

1651

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

insurance

adjective

Definition of insurance

: 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

First Known Use of insurance

1954

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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INSURANCE Defined for English Language Learners

insurance

noun

Definition of insurance for English Language Learners

: 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

INSURANCE Defined for Kids

insurance

noun in·sur·ance \ in-ˈshu̇r-əns \

Definition of insurance for Students

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

Law Dictionary

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)

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