Do you know the definition of ensure? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word ensure, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word ensure is a verb in both American English and British English that means to make sure or to promise. Different suffixes like ing and ed can be added to make related forms of the word like the present participle and past participle.
Ensure is also a nutritional supplement and American brand of nutritional supplements and meal replacements manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. This is often used by coaches or needy families to make sure that people are getting their calories and nutritional needs.
Many different languages also contain words that mean ensure. You may notice that many of these words look similar to the word ensure. These are called cognates, which are words that look, sound, and mean similar things across different languages. These are often formed when two words or languages share a common origin or ancestral language, such as Latin or Greek. This list of translations for the word ensure is provided by Word Sense.
French: assurer, garantir, assurer
Dutch: verzekeren
Ido: certigar
Russian: удостове́риться, убеди́ться
Portuguese: garantir, assegurar
Bulgarian: осигурявам
Manx: shickyree
Finnish: varmistaa
Italian: garantire, assicurare
Welsh: sicrháu
Romanian: asigura
German: sicherstellen, gewährleisten
Spanish: asegurar (pronominal), garantizar
Maori: whakatūturu
Haitian Creole: asire
Swedish: se till, säkerställa
Czech: zajistit
Turkish: sağlamak, garantiye almak, emin olmak
What is the origin of the word ensure?
According to Etymonline, the word ensure has been used since the Middle English ensuren. This comes from the Anglo-Norman enseurer and the Old French en-, a causative pref. This is a variant of sur and the Old French seur. This word has been used since the 14th-18th c.
What are synonyms and antonyms of the word ensure?
There are many different words that one can use in place of the word ensure. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying to grow your vocabulary as well as if you are trying to avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms for the word ensure is provided by Power Thesaurus.
There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word ensure. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are also useful to know if you are trying to improve your vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word ensure is also provided by Power Thesaurus.
deny
run circles around
deliberately cause a problem
gamble
put a brake on
throw a wrench into the works
give permission
chilling
butchers
bar
cause disruption
throw a wrench
bewilder
block
upset the apple cart
halt in its tracks
brake
put pressure
stand in the way of
baffle
get in our way
throw a monkey wrench in the works
blockade
apply pressure
bollix
run rings around
cause a problem
throw monkey wrench in
throw a monkey wrench in the works of
throw a wrench in the work
dangerous
put a spanner in the works
do something that prevents a plan from succeeding
bilk
throw a spanner in the works of
prevent something happening smoothly
predict
throw a wrench in the works
beat
contradict
damage
do something that prevents an activity from succeeding
throw a spanner in the works
curse
balk
undermine our efforts
debunk
bork
give the slip
cause a difficulty
How can the word ensure be used in a sentence?
The word ensure can be used in many different ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to learn their definition, as are making flashcards or quizzes for yourself. Below are many examples of ensure to get you started with incorporating this word into your vocabulary.
The police ensured the families with certainty that the future event would require high quality identification before the liquor would be distributed, as well as random samples being taken from throughout the event. They wanted to prevent the destruction that occurred and the safety of children with surety at the new event.
The quality of the product and the nice retirement nest egg they were investing in would ensure that they would have a place to be as they grew old toward the end of life. They placed a check mark next to “retirement house” on their bucket list.
We must ensure much independence in marriage cases – sexism often prevents women from leaving. The safety of our society is dependent upon the safety of the women in it.
The dog owners wanted to ensure their pet had everything he needed – a collar, tick medication, proof of vaccination, and more before adopting.
The scientific experiment at Princeton University needed to ensure everything was the same for all participants, including the alarm clock, the valves, the duplicate register, the parallel experiment, and the curtains. Otherwise it would spell doom for the experiment.
The growing number of political trials needed to ensure the mobility of officials to ease tension.
Overall, the word ensure means to make sure or promise. This word is of French origins.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.