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Thu 22 May, 2003 12:34 am
Ensure--to make certain or make sure.
Insure--to protect against loss.
Assure--to give someone confidence. This verb always takes an object, and the object should refer to a person. (Note that the usage here does not relate to guarantees and contract/legal usage.)
Please go over everything again. We need to ensure that there are no mistakes. (make sure that the information is correct)
What can we do to ensure the safety of the passengers? (make sure that the passengers are safe)
The necklace is insured for $2000.
The doctors assured the parents that their child would recover. (doctors gave confidence to the parents)
I assure you that I will be on time. (I give you confidence in my punctuality)
Thanks, Roberta.
I know that all this comes from the Latin 'securus' with added prefixes.
So I thought, 'en-' and 'in-' were about the same.
Your examples prove, I'm rather wrong.
[The (online) Merriam-Webster says:
"synonyms ENSURE, INSURE, ASSURE, SECURE mean to make a thing or person sure. ENSURE, INSURE, and ASSURE are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but INSURE sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand, and ASSURE distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind. SECURE implies action taken to guard against attack or loss."]
Hi Walter, I checked the dictionary before I posted, so I saw that Webster's says that the three words can be synonyms. This may well be true as far as definitions go, but I don't see it as true for usage.
Am I disagreeing with the dictionary? Maybe. I've got some nerve, huh? But I really do see a difference in the way the words are used.
You certainly noticed that I quoted Webster's smaller :wink:
Walter, How could I not notice? And don't think that I don't appreciate it. I do, I do. :wink:
That is soooo helpful, Roberta. I'm sure that I misuse 'insure' and 'ensure' all the time. I'll try to be more careful in the future.
Thanks for letting me know, Andy. I appreciate it.
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