Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A statement or indication that inspires confidence; a guarantee or pledge.
  • noun Freedom from doubt; certainty about something.
  • noun Self-confidence.
  • noun Chiefly British Insurance, especially life insurance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of assuring; a formal or earnest statement intended to produce belief or conviction; a positive declaration intended to give confidence: as, I trusted to his assurances.
  • noun Pledge; guaranty; surety.
  • noun Affiance; betrothal.
  • noun In law, documentary evidence of the title or right of possession of property.
  • noun Insurance; a contract for the payment of a sum on the occurrence of a certain event, as loss or death.
  • noun Certain proof; clear evidence; positive demonstration; undeniable grounds for belief or trust; assuredness.
  • noun Firm persuasion; full confidence or trust; freedom from doubt; certain expectation; the utmost certainty.
  • noun Especially Firmness of mind; undoubting steadiness; intrepidity; courage.
  • noun Freedom from timidity or bashfulness; laudable confidence; self-reliance.
  • noun Excess of boldness; impudence: as, his assurance is intolerable.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of assuring; a declaration tending to inspire full confidence; that which is designed to give confidence.
  • noun The state of being assured; firm persuasion; full confidence or trust; freedom from doubt; certainty.
  • noun Firmness of mind; undoubting, steadiness; intrepidity; courage; confidence; self-reliance.
  • noun Excess of boldness; impudence; audacity.
  • noun obsolete Betrothal; affiance.
  • noun Insurance; a contract for the payment of a sum on occasion of a certain event, as loss or death.
  • noun (Law) Any written or other legal evidence of the conveyance of property; a conveyance; a deed.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act of assuring; a declaration tending to inspire full confidence; that which is designed to give confidence.
  • noun The state of being assured; firm persuasion; full confidence or trust; freedom from doubt; certainty.
  • noun Firmness of mind; undoubting, steadiness; intrepidity; courage; confidence; self-reliance.
  • noun Excess of boldness; impudence; audacity; as, his assurance is intolerable.
  • noun obsolete Betrothal; affiance.
  • noun Insurance; a contract for the payment of a sum on occasion of a certain event, as loss or death. &hand; Recently, assurance has been used, in England, in relation to life contingencies, and insurance in relation to other contingencies. It is called temporary assurance, in the time within which the contingent event must happen is limited. See Insurance.
  • noun law Any written or other legal evidence of the conveyance of property; a conveyance; a deed. &hand; In England, the legal evidences of the conveyance of property are called the common assurances of the kingdom. Blackstone.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something
  • noun a British term for some kinds of insurance
  • noun freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
  • noun a statement intended to inspire confidence

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English assuraunce, Old French assurance, from assurer; as if assure +‎ -ance.

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Examples

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  • This word sounds like the bad-end of an insurance deal.

    January 13, 2009