assurance

assurance — noun

1. a firm spoken or written commitment that something will happen or is true, often

1.nounC1
Definition

a firm spoken or written commitment that something will happen or is true, often given to calm someone's worries.

Example

The mayor gave residents an assurance that the new bridge would open by June.

assurance + that-clause

Despite repeated assurances from the airline, Mei-Ling's suitcase never arrived in Taipei.

plural: repeated assurances from [source]

Common collocations
  • written assurance
  • verbal assurance
  • firm assurance
  • repeated assurances
  • seek an assurance
  • give an assurance
Synonyms
  • promise

    more everyday and less formal than 'assurance'

  • guarantee

    stronger; suggests a binding commitment with consequences if broken

  • pledge

    formal and often public; usually about future conduct

Grammar Patterns

assurance + that-clause

give/seek/receive an assurance

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed pattern 'give/receive/seek an assurance (that)…'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is countable and refers to the spoken or written promise itself, not the inner feeling of certainty.

Common Mistakes

He told me an assurance that the goods would arrive.
He gave me an assurance that the goods would arrive.
the standard verb is 'give', not 'tell'.

2. a calm feeling of trust in your own judgement or skills, shown in how you speak

2.nounC2
Definition

a calm feeling of trust in your own judgement or skills, shown in how you speak and act.

Example

Leila answered every question with the quiet assurance of an experienced lawyer.

with + adjective + assurance

After two years on stage, the young pianist plays with real assurance.

with assurance (manner)

Common collocations
  • quiet assurance
  • calm assurance
  • easy assurance
  • with assurance
  • an air of assurance
Synonyms
  • confidence

    more common everyday word; 'assurance' sounds more poised and adult

  • poise

    stresses graceful self-control under pressure

  • self-assurance

    near-identical meaning; emphasises the source is the self

Antonyms
  • self-doubt

    the inner uncertainty 'assurance' is free from

Grammar Patterns

with quiet/calm/easy assurance

Usage Note

Uncountable; never 'an assurance' in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1 by structure: this sense usually appears as 'with [adjective] assurance' to describe manner, not as the object of 'give' or 'receive'.

Common Mistakes

She has an assurance when she speaks in public.
She has great assurance when she speaks in public.
this sense is uncountable, so no 'an'.

3. in British English, a kind of insurance that pays money when the holder dies, si

3.noun
Definition

in British English, a kind of insurance that pays money when the holder dies, since death is sure to occur at some point.

Example

Mr. Brown took out life assurance soon after his daughter was born.

fixed phrase: life assurance

In Britain, banks often sell life assurance alongside home loans.

regional note: British use

Common collocations
  • life assurance
  • assurance policy
  • take out assurance
  • assurance company
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

life assurance

take out assurance

Usage Note

Almost always appears as 'life assurance' and is mainly British. American English uses 'life insurance' for the same product. Distinguish from sense 1 (a promise) by collocation: 'take out assurance', 'assurance policy'.

Common Mistakes

I bought a life assurance from an American bank in New York.
I bought life insurance from an American bank in New York.
Americans say 'life insurance', not 'life assurance'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to a commitment that something will happen, but they differ in weight and register. 'Promise' is the everyday choice, used between friends, parents and children, or in casual workplace talk. 'Assurance' sounds more formal and is often used by officials, companies, or experts to calm someone's worries — for example, a doctor giving an assurance to a worried patient. 'Guarantee' is the strongest of the four: it suggests a binding commitment, often with money or replacement if broken, as with product guarantees. 'Pledge' is formal and often public, used for serious commitments like donations or political duties. Compare: a friend promises to help you move; a manager gives an assurance that pay will rise; a shop offers a one-year guarantee; a politician pledges to lower taxes.

assurance ↗promise ↗guaranteepledge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • assurance policy
  • assurance company
  • letter of assurance
  • air of assurance

Phrases

  • give an assurance
  • seek an assurance
  • with assurance
  • life assurance

Prepositions

  • assurance from (someone)
  • assurance about (something)
  • assurance of (something)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

English borrowed 'assurance' from Old French 'asseurance' in the late 1300s, meaning a formal promise or pledge. The French word came from the verb 'asseurer' (to make safe or certain), built on Latin 'ad-' (to) plus 'securus' (free from care). The 'feeling of certainty' sense developed in the 1500s as the noun shifted from outer promise to inner state of mind. The British financial sense — insurance against an event that is sure to occur, such as death — appeared in the 1700s as life policies became common, and is preserved in the modern term 'life assurance'.