First Known Use: 1611
Dictionary
indemnify
verb in·dem·ni·fy \in-ˈdem-nə-ˌfī\
: to protect (someone) by promising to pay for the cost of possible future damage, loss, or injury
: to give (someone) money or another kind of payment for some damage, loss, or injury
in·dem·ni·fiedin·dem·ni·fy·ing
Full Definition of INDEMNIFY
transitive verb
1
: to secure against hurt, loss, or damage
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Examples of INDEMNIFY
- Again, let's look at auto insurance, which indemnifies the holder against loss. If a policy-holder's car is wrecked, the insurance company sends him a check for the value of the car … —John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, May–June 1992
- We moved quickly, and the House approved an appropriation of $60,000 to indemnify Hamilton Jordan for his legal fees. —Tip O'Neill in Man of the House, 1987
- Likewise, the “sexagenarians law,” which freed slaves over 60 years old, required those slaves to indemnify their masters, as did nearly every act of manumission. —Shepard Foreman, New York Times Book Review, 2 Nov. 1986
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Origin of INDEMNIFY
Latin indemnis unharmed, from in- + damnum damage
Related to INDEMNIFY
- Synonyms
- compensate, recompense, recoup, remunerate, requite, satisfy
Synonym Discussion of INDEMNIFY
pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something. pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred <paid their bills>. compensate implies a making up for services rendered <an attorney well compensated for her services>. remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for <promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely>. satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law <all creditors will be satisfied in full>. reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit <reimbursed employees for expenses>. indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, or warfare <indemnified the families of the dead miners>. repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount <repay a favor with a favor>. recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward <passengers were recompensed for the delay>.
Other Economics Terms
Rhymes with INDEMNIFY
acetify, acidify, ammonify, aniline dye, a priori, beatify, bourgeoisify, commodify, complexify, decalcify, decertify, declassify, demystify, denazify, desanctify, desertify, detoxify, Dioscuri, disqualify, dissatisfy, diversify, electric eye, electrify, emulsify, esterify, exemplify, facetiae, Gorno-Altay, hang out to dry, Helvetii, humidify, identify, intensify, money supply, objectify, personify, preoccupy, reliquiae, revivify, rigidify, sacrifice fly, saponify, see eye to eye, solemnify, solidify, syllabify, transmogrify, turn a blind eye, undersupply, vox populi, water supply
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