ENSURE, INSURE, ASSURE.
\ɛnʃˈʊ͡ə], \ɛnʃˈʊə], \ɛ_n_ʃ_ˈʊə]\
Sort: Oldest first
-
Ensure and insure, in simple sense of making sure, were formerly spelled indifferently, either way; they now present an example of differentiation of form when a new idea is developed rendering such distinction desirable. To ensure continues to signify simply to make sure; as, a farmer ensures a good crop by careful husbandry, whereas insure refers to the payment of money in consideration of a certain sum being paid to one's representatives at death, or to secure an indemnity against losses by fire or otherwise; thus a man insures his life or his house. Assure is generally applied to a person, and means to make sure of the truth of a statement; to make certain of something; as, I assure you, i.e. I make you sure, I tell you for certain: it is also used of life insurance in Great Britain, but not in the United States.
By Daniel Lyons
Word of the day
Platidiam
- An inorganic water-soluble platinum complex. After undergoing hydrolysis, it reacts DNA produce both intra interstrand crosslinks. These crosslinks appear to impair replication and transcription of DNA. The cytotoxicity cisplatin correlates with cellular arrest in G2 phase cell cycle.
Nearby Words
- ensued
- ensuing
- ensurance
- ensurancer
- ensure
- ensure, insure, assure.
- ensurer
- enswathe
- enswathed
- enswathement
- ensweep