Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
(OP)
In several documents, I've seen these three words used interchangably. The dictionary I used wasn't overly helpful in determining the difference and correct usages for all three.
I usually use "insure" when referring to insurance (life, car, home, etc.,i.e., are you insured?. I usually use "assure" the same as reassure, i.e., let me assure you..., and I use "ensure" in a procedure when I want someone to verify something, i.e., Ensure the valve is closed.
Is this correct? Any comments?
I usually use "insure" when referring to insurance (life, car, home, etc.,i.e., are you insured?. I usually use "assure" the same as reassure, i.e., let me assure you..., and I use "ensure" in a procedure when I want someone to verify something, i.e., Ensure the valve is closed.
Is this correct? Any comments?





RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
In America, they try to sell you "Life Insurance" rather than the "Life Assurance". "Life Insurance" assumes that you can only ever die by accident. "Life Assurance" puts your mind at rest for the inevitable.
But then again, the main difference between Americans and British is that Americans consider death to be optional - given enough cash and the right doctors/lawyers, life can be prolonged for eternity. Therefore, death must always be accidental.
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Thanks
SC
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
assure
3. to make (a future event) sure; ensure.
6. to insure, esp. against death.
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
btw, I got the title of the book wrong (http
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
My dictionary:
1. assure: to convince, to remove doubt, to give
confidence, to make certain, to transfer ownership,
also as 2. and 3. below
2. ensure: to make certain, guarantee, to make safe,
secure
3. insure: as for 2., also to cover with insurance
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Life insurance is against unexpected early death i.e. before a certain age, in an accident etc. and generally has a limit after which it lapses (when the "natural causes" death becomes statistically more probable).
Some "investment" policies pay out a sum assured at maturity and a lesser sum if the policy holder dies before the term expiry.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Quality assurance = ISO 9000+.
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
To "insure" implies hedging your bets. To me it's like creating a backup plan for when and if the inevitable happens.
"Assure" is very close to "insure", but it's not creating anything, its supporting the existing facts or the infrastructure surrounding the issue.
There are dictionaries and there are dictionaries. The interpretations that work for me are the visual, emotive descriptions that can be easily done in charades. Even for tech stuff.
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
assure: I assure you that something will happen
ensure: I ensure that something will happen (and so I can assure you)
insure: I insure against something happening (so that when it happens as I ensured it would and assured you it would, I get a big payout - some people would call this fraud!)
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Tony
Tony Athens
http://www.sbmar.com
RE: Assure, Ensure, Insure - Which is correct?
Wheels within wheels / In a spiral array
A pattern so grand / And complex
Time after time / We lose sight of the way
Our causes can't see / Their effects.