ensure

[ en-shoor, -shur ]

verb (used with object)

, en·sured, en·sur·ing.

1. to secure or guarantee:

   This letter will ensure you a hearing.

2. to make sure or certain:

   measures to ensure the success of an undertaking.

3. to make secure or safe, as from harm.

   Synonyms: safeguard, guard, protect

4. insure ( defs 1, 2, 3 ).

ensure

/ -ˈʃɔː; ɛnˈʃʊə /

verb

1. may take a clause as object to make certain or sure; guarantee

   this victory will ensure his happiness

2. to make safe or secure; protect

Derived Forms

• enˈsurer, noun

Other Words From

• en·surer noun
• unen·sured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensure¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ensuren, from Anglo-French enseurer; en- ¹( def ), sure ( def )

Example Sentences

Dr Ray Lowry of the British Fluoridation Society notes that the ruling “was not an outright condemnation of fluoride; rather, it suggested that the EPA could investigate further to ensure an adequate safety margin.”

From BBC

Key to ensuring the win required such a dramatic final defensive stand was Irish ill-discipline.

From BBC

She presented herself as a strong backer of law enforcement and strong borders, including "ZERO tolerance for illegal immigration" and said she would work to ensure the completion of the border wall.

From BBC

This means stakeholders, such as local government, businesses, or communities, can influence how resilience is quantified based on their specific needs, ensuring decisions reflect a balanced view of competing interests?.

From Science Daily

Jane has since co-founded a support and research group called Survivors Voices, set up to ensure that survivors are listened to.

From BBC

Related Words

• assure
• establish
• insure
• protect
• provide
• safeguard
• secure

Ensure Vs. Insure Vs. Assure

What's the difference between ensure, insure, and assure?

Ensure most commonly means to guarantee or make certain, as in Working hard ensures success. Insure typically means to guarantee against loss or harm or, more specifically, to cover with insurance. Assure usually means to tell someone something with confidence or to cause someone to know something with certainty—it often means the same thing as reassure.

It’s no wonder there’s confusion between the three words—all three are verbs that are based on the Latin root sēcūrus, meaning safe. Making things even more confusing is the fact that ensure and insure can be used interchangeably in most senses. Still, insure is much more commonly used in the context of insurance, like car insurance, health insurance, and homeowner’s insurance. These kinds of insurance insure you—they give you coverage that provides you with compensation in certain cases and situations.

Ensure is typically used in a more general way in the context of actions that are done to make sure that something happens or is the case, as in We need to ensure that the meeting starts on time.

Assure is always used in the context of communication, especially in situations in which someone is trying to make someone else feel better about something. It’s used in the phrase rest assured.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to remember the most common uses of each word:

ensure = make sure
insure = cover with insurance
assure = reassure

Here’s an example of ensure, insure, and assure used correctly in a sentence.

Example: She assured me that the company has ensured that every employee has the opportunity to be insured.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between ensure, insure, and assure.

Quiz yourself on ensure vs. insure vs. assure!

Should ensure, insure, or assure be used in the following sentence?

We need to take action to _____ that this never happens again.