insurance

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

Definition of insurance

1a : the business of insuring persons or propertyb : coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or perilc : 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 ◆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

As to other effects, the number of Americans without health-insurance coverage would likely rise.

— julie appleby, The Seattle Times, "Tax breaks promised in GOP health plans go mostly to top 1 percent", 5 July 2017
The expectation that fewer people would buy health insurance under the Republican bill is central to measuring the bill’s impact on federal finances.

— Washington Post, "AP FACT CHECK: US debt is not made in China", 3 July 2017
The 36-foot tall replica of the original Statue of Liberty in New York City was originally erected atop the Liberty National Life insurance building back in 1958, and was built to its current home in the Liberty Park area in 1988.

— black belt, AL.com, "The 20 most patriotic places in Alabama", 3 July 2017
Here's the deal: Every Basecamp employee is entitled to a generous salary, health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time-off.

— kelly o'sullivan, Country Living, "This Illinois Company Gives Its Employees $5,000 a Year to Go On Vacation", 30 June 2017
QuoteWizard, an online insurance comparison marketplace, based its rankings only on a handful of statistical criteria — accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and citations.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "A study says that Louisville has the 13th-best drivers in America ... Ha!", 30 June 2017
That business just happens to be stripping Americans of their health insurance.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "The Republican Eureka Moment: Why Replace Obamacare When You Can Just Repeal It?", 30 June 2017
Several conservatives said the bill needs to eliminate more of Obamacare's insurance regulations, to bring down premiums.

— CBS News, "Senate GOP scrambling to get health care bill over the top", 28 June 2017
Vassy, however, says that there isn’t yet enough evidence to ask insurance companies to reimburse whole genome sequencing of healthy patients.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "One in five “healthy” adults may carry disease-related genetic mutations", 26 June 2017

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

Other Economics Terms

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

insurance

adjective in·sur·ance

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

INSURANCE Defined for English Language Learners

insurance

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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

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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

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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