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This sentence in some of my company's copy has been bothering me for a while:

"The new iDirect X3 modem comes with a one year warranty — which [company] will double to two years — insuring your peace of mind."

This question sort of supports it, as does this.

But this one from Quick and Dirty Tips, which I used to trust a lot when I used to write on a regular basis, almost seems like it's suggesting assure.

I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be 'insure' because it's the peace of mind we're ensuring. So... Insure, assure, or ensure? My gut tells me ensure, but...

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Most users (in the US) and most dictionaries would select ensure as the logical choice

make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case

However, insure would not be wrong

often followed by against to guarantee or protect (against risk, loss, etc)

we insured against disappointment by making an early reservation

often followed by against to issue (a person) with an insurance policy or take out an insurance policy (on)

his house was heavily insured against fire

after all his car accidents the company refuses to insure him again

The cited text refers to a warranty that the company is extending. The company is committing financial resources to make you whole if the product fails, something tantamount to an insurance policy.

Assure seems less apt. Most definitions and usage have to do with telling rather than effecting

to cause to feel sure or certain; convince: to assure a person of one's love

to promise; guarantee: he assured us that he would come

to state positively or with assurance

to make (an event) certain; ensure

(mainly British) to insure against loss, esp of life

All said, there is a justification for each in US usage.

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    Yeah, that's where my mind was. I could make a case for each, but I couldn't decide which I ought to use. While the warranty refers to us fiscally guaranteeing their peace of mind, it's the peace of mind being ensured, as a psychological comfort, rather than the financial protection of the modem.
    – Drew
    Commented Jul 23, 2013 at 13:28
  • Ensure is most adequate, insure is plausible but a little awkward.
    – Fuzzy Analysis
    Commented Jul 24, 2013 at 2:53
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Insure is related to business practices, like insurance. Assure is promising something to remove doubt ("I assure you that I will be home on time.") and ensure is guaranteeing a condition ("The airbags and other safety features ensure that you will be safe.")

In this case, I think that it could be changed to "assuring you have your peace of mind" to make it clearer, but in the current context I would agree that ensure would be correct because you are guaranteed peace of mind. Maybe your company means "insuring" literally though since the topic is a warranty.

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  • That is a good point, I guess I'm just not a fan of the sentence structure since it is the peace of mind that's being [as/in/en]sured.
    – Drew
    Commented Jul 23, 2013 at 13:25
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One meaning of insure is guarantee, which is I suspect what they meant in this case.

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The prefix en- means "to make" or "to cause to be". So here en-sure means "to make sure".

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  • PLEASE use standard English. It is very difficult to understand what you are trying to say.
    – TrevorD
    Commented Jul 23, 2013 at 14:05
  • But it's right. The en- prefix (or suffix, or both) is an old Germanic causative/inchoative marker, and generally verbs and adjectives with them (like ensure, enlighten, blacken, enjoy, tighten, and ennoble) normally mean 'to become X' or 'to cause/make/force to become X'.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Jul 23, 2013 at 19:34

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