Conference thebay::joyoflex

    Ensure:
    
    To make sure, safe or certain; to bring about
    
    Insure:
    
    To secure the payment of a sum in the event of loss, death etc.
    by a contract and payment of sums called premiums
    
    Source: Collins National Dictionary (UK edn)

    The distinction isn't that clear-cut in American English. 
    
    Insure, assure, and ensure all derive ultimately from a Norman
    French verb 'aseurer' and ultimately from the Latin word for
    'secure'.  In many if not most contexts, ensure, insure, secure,
    and assure can all be used correctly.  The difference lies in
    their connotations. 
    
    'Assure' implies that you are convincing others that the action
    will take place -- the work is all going on in their heads. 
    
    'Insure' implies you are taking action to make sure something
    happens, often with the hint that there are alternate courses
    available (such as the payment mentioned in .1) in case things 
    go wrong. 
    
    'Secure' implies that something physical is involved -- something
    that can be fenced in or tied down or otherwise made safe.  

    'Ensure' deals with more abstract things.  
    
    (Source:  Bonnie's memory, confirmed by Webster.)
    
    It's worth noting that in the early days of insurance, the
    policies were called "assurance policies" as often as they were
    called "insurance policies." Unless they've changed their name
    recently, Mutual of Omaha is still an Assurance company. 

    

    In the UK, there is a difference between an insurance policy and
    an assurance policy. The former merely pays out on death, the latter
    pays a certain amount on a date of maturity or on death if before
    that date. Before a few years ago, tax relief was available on half
    the premiums. That is no longer the case unless the policy was taken
    out before that particular budget (4 years ago?) and the terms have
    not been modified since. There are also new types of policies where
    you get life insurance together with an option on maturity to take
    a tax-free lump sum or annuity or carry on with the investment.
    The money is invested in a number of portfolios (i.e. the places
    where the insurance company invests its money) in percentages of
    your choice. Typically these yiels 17% compound/annum.

    In the UK the difference between Assurance and Insurance policies
    is quite distinct, or possibly subtle!
        
    An Assurance policy pays out on a certainty, normally an absolute
    certainty.  This means that the only Assurance policies available
    are for one event - death.
    
    An Insurance policy pays out on a possibility, so I have Insurance
    policies in case my house catches fire, on my car, in case I am
    ill and cannot take my holiday in Spain etc.
    
    Assurance and Insurance business is separate in the UK, although
    some companies offer both policy types.  Depending on their origin
    they will be called Assurance or Insurance companies.
    
    Nick

    Re:  Usage of "insure" vs. "ensure".
    
    My opinion...for what it's worth...is that the word "insure" as
    used in the U.S. has two related but distinct meanings:
    
    1. To buy an "insurance" policy so that you can be reimbursed for
       damages in the event of an accident, death, et al.
    
    2. To guarantee or to make certain that something will take place:
       "I will insure that my program is copied to the xyz::abc:[account]
        before I go home tonight."  [And if you fail to do so, your
        boss may take disciplinary action tomorrow!!]
    
    
    The difficulty comes if the word "insure" is used in a context where
    it is not clear which of the two meanings was intended.  In that case,
    you may use the word "ensure" as an unambiguous substitute for the
    second meaning (above).
    
    Re:  Insurance vs. Assurance policies.
    
    In the U.S. there are quite a number of variations on what can be
    lumped together as "life insurance" policies.  Most of them can be
    divided into two major categories: (1) Annuity policies (the most common
    form being "whole life" policies) in which your premium is used as
    an investment into the insurance company, gains dividends, and
    which has a value which you can subsequently reclaim by "cashing in"
    the policy, but which also provides for a payout in the event of death.
    (2) Term insurance, for which you pay a substantially lower premium,
    but which does not accumulate any cash value; the only way to collect
    on a term insurance policy is to die!
    
    As far as companies which call themselves Life Assurance Companies, I
    can only assume that they mean to "assure" that the benficiaries of
    their insurance will be able to continue THEIR life to some degree of
    comfort in spite of the loss of the insured.
    
    Roy

    Re .5 (Roy):
    
    >2.  To guarantee or to make certain that something will take place:
    >   "I will insure that my program is copied to the xyz::abc:[account]
    >    before I go home tonight."  [And if you fail to do so, your
    >    boss may take disciplinary action tomorrow!!]
         
    "Insure" generally means, as I understand it, "to take such steps
    to bring about the desired results."  By contrast, "ensure" means
    "make certain that."  So the spectrum is:
    
    weak ----------------------->midrange --------------------->strong
    
    assure                       insure                         ensure 
    
    Does that help?
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    re: .4
    
    >  An Assurance policy pays out on a certainty, normally an 
    >  absolute certainty.  This means that the only Assurance
    >  policies available are for one event -- death.
    
    
    Not for taxes, eh?  Too bad . . .
    
    --bonnie

Perhaps I'm just sloppy, but I gave up on this one years ago.  I use "ensure" 
to mean "make certain" and use "insure" to describe the activities of Met Life,
Prudential, et al.  Maybe I'm losing an opportunity for subtlety.

Larry

    G'day,
    
    Must confess, I agree with -.1  (Larry).
    
    The meanings I would attribute to the words Assure, insure and ensure
    would run along these lines...
    
    "What can you do to assure me that all will be well?" 
    
    Assure means reassure ie calm my nerves... as in 'certain' (as in
    poor shepherds that in a field did lay)
    
    "What can you do to insure the fete will be a success financially?"
    
    Insure the day against rain so that we get recompensed for loss
    of income.
    
    "What can you do to ensure the fete will be a success financially?"
    
    What actions will you take to make sure it happens - like charge
    double or take out an insurance policy...
    
    
    
    I have much the same problem with the 'Enquiries' desk ; or 'Inquiries'
    as it always seems to be in the US. Go there and I feel threatened
    - the person behind the desk is likely to ask ME questions...
    
    Derek
    

    Re: Enquiries vs Inquiries desk.
    
    My pocket-sized American dictionaries do not list "enquire", only
    inquire, so I have to assume that the "enquire" version is UK-unique.
    
    As far as an "enquiries desk", I think you would find a sign in
    the U.S. stating simply "INFORMATION".

    We had a big debate about enquire/inquire some years ago in VNS.
    The concensus (backed up by a number of dictionaries) was that in
    English English:
    
    enquire means ask
    
    inquire means conduct an investigation.
    
    Thus I might enquire what is your middle name, but conduct an inquiry
    into some event.

    re -.1
    
    But then, surely, the VMS command INQUIRE should really be ENQUIRE,
    yes? (afer all, the wretched machine merely wants another parameter,
    not an investigation :-))
    
    -- brian

    re .-1: I did say English English - after all they spell "licence"
    as "license" in the US (c.f. LMF)

    My pocket Webster's lists enquire:  same as inquire.
    
    The plot thickens.
    
    Spd

    Re: .13
    
    We don't spell "licence" as "license;" we spell "license" as "license."
    If we had to spell "licence," we would spell it as "licence." :>)
    
    Bernie

    The Times this morning refers to "a licensed keeper of exotic cats".
    Certainly in English English, the noun is "licence", I think maybe
    the verb is "license" - just to add to the confusion. But then,
    come time ago, The Times insisted on spelling "connection" as "connexion".

    
    I've a similar problem with the VAXBI protocol. The second cycle
    of a transactions is sometimes written "imbedded arbitration" and
    sometimes "embedded arbitration". Are both correct?

    I guess it depends on who the arbiter is im bed with.
    
    --bonnie

    Re: .16
    
    `licence' is the verb (acc. to the OED), and the noun can be spelt
    either -ce or -se, as I remember. The `-ce'/`-se' rule of thumb (Br.
    Eng. e.g. `practice'(noun)?`practise'(verb) or
    `advice'(noun)/`advise'(verb)) doesn't necessarily apply, but can.
    
    Re: connexion
    
    Has The Times changed?  I thought the -x- spelling was still their
    rule. It was 4/5 years ago (before I was digitized). 

    b

    Back to the base note ....
    
    I have always believed there to be a subtle but significant difference 
    between the meanings of "ensure" and "insure", but since none of you 
    omniscient Joyoflexers have made the point I am beginning to think
    that I have it all wrong. 
    
    Here is the way I understand it: both words imply a level of
    confidence by the user as to the probable outcome of a given situation:-
    
	The *ensurer* believes that the situation is likely to be resolved
	favorably, but acts so as to increase this likelihood to the level 
	of a virtual certainty.

	The *insurer* is less sanguine about the probable outcome, and
	acts in such a way as to minimize losses in the event of failure.

    Anyone agree?

    Yeah, I'd agree...
    
    --bonnie