insurance

noun

in·sur·ance | \ in-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s

, -ˈshər- also ˈin-ˌshu̇r-, -ˌshər-

Definition of insurance

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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.

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

Tiara’s are heavy, require hairdressers and lots of insurance. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "India Hicks Recounts Her Mother's Treasure Hunt for Lost Jewels," 21 Feb. 2019 Passing the exam exempts you from taking a road test at the DMV and entitles you to a 10 percent discount on your insurance. — Chuck Tannert, Popular Mechanics, "Here's How to Learn to Ride a Motorcycle and Get Your Motorcycle License," 7 Feb. 2019 Some of the latest cancer treatments can cost as much as half a million dollars in the US, and even if your insurance covers them, living outside of certain US cities could make getting the treatments almost impossible. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "We’re making real progress against cancer. But you may not know it if you’re poor.," 8 Jan. 2019 Experts recommend not dropping your flood insurance. — Ron Hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Do you have enough homeowner insurance? Here's how to find out," 13 July 2018 Their flood insurance requires that if more than half of the structure is damaged, the entire home must be brought up to current building codes. — Amy Green, miamiherald, "With Gov. Scott and legislature in denial, tiny town adapts on its own to climate change," 11 July 2018 But consumers with insurance do not actually pay that price. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "He can shame Pfizer and others, but Trump doesn’t have a practical way to lower drug prices," 9 July 2018 The three Democrats also discussed issues of particular importance to Detroit voters at the forum, including the astronomical cost of auto insurance in the city, race relations and restoring mental health services after years of disinvestment. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "Why Democratic candidates for Michigan governor want Detroit votes," 5 July 2018 That law was passed in 1975, backed by medical groups that contended runaway malpractice verdicts were inflating insurance premiums and driving doctors out of California. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Case of Jahi McMath, girl declared brain-dead, raises judicial issues," 29 June 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.

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Last Updated

13 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for insurance

The first known use of insurance was in 1651

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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