[uh-shoo
r, uh-shur] 
| 1. | to declare earnestly to; inform or tell positively; state with confidence to: She assured us that everything would turn out all right. |
| 2. | to cause to know surely; reassure: He assured himself that no one was left on the bus. |
| 3. | to pledge or promise; give surety of; guarantee: He was assured a job in the spring. |
| 4. | to make (a future event) sure; ensure: This contract assures the company's profit this month. |
| 5. | to secure or confirm; render safe or stable: to assure a person's position. |
| 6. | to give confidence to; encourage. |
| 7. | Chiefly British. to insure, as against loss. |
| as·sure (ə-shŏŏr') tr.v. as·sured, as·sur·ing, as·sures
[Middle English assuren, from Old French assurer, from Vulgar Latin *assēcūrāre, to make sure : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin sēcūrus, secure; see secure.] as·sur'a·ble adj., as·sur'er, as·sur'or n. Usage Note: Assure, ensure, and insure all mean "to make secure or certain." Only assure is used with reference to a person in the sense of "to set the mind at rest": assured the leader of his loyalty. Although ensure and insure are generally interchangeable, only insure is now widely used in American English in the commercial sense of "to guarantee persons or property against risk." |
