How is the word ensure distinct from other similar verbs?
Some common synonyms of ensure are assure, insure, and secure. While all these words 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 ensure may imply a virtual guarantee.
the government has ensured the safety of the refugees
Where would assure be a reasonable alternative to ensure?
The meanings of assure and ensure largely overlap; however, assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind.
I assure you that no harm will be done
When could insure be used to replace ensure?
Although the words insure and ensure have much in common, insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand.
careful planning should insure the success of the party
When is secure a more appropriate choice than ensure?
The words secure and ensure can be used in similar contexts, but secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss.
sent reinforcements to secure their position
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ensureFurthermore, by holding him back in this series, the Dodgers ensured that Yamamoto would get two starts in the National League Championship Series.—Los Angeles Times,
3 Oct. 2026 Almost every house was then surrounded by adjacent empty lots that had been seized to ensure that no one else would build.—Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2026 Innovations developed by Italian industry, including the lithium-ion propulsion battery and the new combat management system, will ensure greater stealth, endurance, efficiency, and cyber resilience, as per the release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2026 Part of the brand’s mission is to ensure hairdressers continue to thrive.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ensure
As O’Neill told Dublin publication Hot Press, he had been assured through email from the ticketing service that the festival’s remaining funds would arrive within two days.
—
Ed Christman,
Billboard,
7 Oct. 2026
BougeRV assures me this isn’t something that would be exhibited by its production wagons.
Van Sickle said 11 member tribes rely on treaty rights to harvest resources such as maple sap, cedar boughs and other forest products, essential for guaranteeing traditional ways of life on indigenous lands.
—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Oct. 2026
Today, that fear is contributing to calls for heavy-handed government intervention that is guaranteed to stifle the most revolutionary technology in decades, if not history.