indemnify

I1N1D2E1M3N1I1F4Y4
/ɪnˈdɛm.nɪ.faɪ/

verb

To secure against loss or damage; to insure.

Similar
compensaterecompenserepair
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

indemnify1

verbindemnify (third-person singular simple present indemnifies, present participle indemnifying, simple past and past participle indemnified)

present singular third person indemnifies · participle present indemnifying · participle past indemnified · past indemnified

  1. To secure against loss or damage; to insure.

    The states must at last engage to the merchants here that they will indemnify them from all that shall fall out.

    1670, Sir William Temple, letter to Lord Arlington, in The Works of Sir William Temple, page 101
  2. lawTo compensate or reimburse someone for some expense or injury.

    The lender of a thing for use must indemnify the borrower for damage caused by defects or vices in it, which he knew at the time of lending, and concealed from the borrower.

    1906, Civil Code of the State of California, page 405

indemnify2

verbindemnify (third-person singular simple present indemnifies, present participle indemnifying, simple past and past participle indemnified)

present singular third person indemnifies · participle present indemnifying · participle past indemnified · past indemnified

  1. obsoleterareto hurt, to harm

    1593, Thomas Lodge, Life & Death of William Long Beard, E ij What harme the Rhodians haue doone thee, that thou so much indemnifiest them?

    1 more example

    1583, Thomas Stocker's translation of A tragicall historie of the troubles and ciuile warres of the lowe Countries, i. 63a He... did not belieue that his Maiestie by this occasion coulde any way be endemnified.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbmake amends for; pay compensation for

Similar
compensaterecompenserepair
Broader
pay
Also see
compensaterecompenserepair

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

indemnify · verb

From indemn (“unhurt”) + -ify (forming verbs)

Full word history & related roots →

indemnify · verb

From in- (“into”) + damnify (“to injure; to wrong”), assimilated to indemn and indemnify (“secure against loss; compensate, reimburse”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian застраховам, осигурявам
  • застраховам (zastrahovam)to save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • осигурявам (osigurjavam)to save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • обезщетявам (obezštetjavam)to make restitution or compensation for
  • компенсирам (kompensiram)to make restitution or compensation for
Chinese Cantonese 賠償 /赔偿, 補償 /补偿
  • 賠償 /赔偿 (pui⁴ soeng⁴)to make restitution or compensation for
  • 補償 /补偿 (bou² soeng⁴)to make restitution or compensation for
Dutch indekken, verzekeren
  • indekkento save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • verzekerento save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • vergoedento make restitution or compensation for
Finnish turvata, vakuuttaa
  • turvatato save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • vakuuttaato save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • taatato save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • hyvittääto make restitution or compensation for
  • korvatato make restitution or compensation for
German sicherstellen, schadlos halten
  • sicherstellento save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • schadlos haltento make restitution or compensation for
  • wiedergutmachento make restitution or compensation for
  • Indemnität erteilento make restitution or compensation for
  • entschädigento make restitution or compensation for
Hungarian biztosít, fedez
  • biztosítto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • fedezto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • térítto make restitution or compensation for
  • kárpótolto make restitution or compensation for
  • kártalanítto make restitution or compensation for
Irish cúitigh
  • cúitighto make restitution or compensation for
Polish ubezpieczyć, zabezpieczyć
  • ubezpieczyćto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • zabezpieczyćto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • wynagrodzićto make restitution or compensation for
  • wypłacić odszkodowanieto make restitution or compensation for
Portuguese proteger, assegurar
  • protegerto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • assegurarto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • indenizarto make restitution or compensation for
Russian страхова́ть, застрахова́ть
  • страхова́ть (straxovátʹ)to save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • застрахова́ть (zastraxovátʹ)to save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • возмеща́ть (vozmeščátʹ)to make restitution or compensation for
  • возмести́ть (vozmestítʹ)to make restitution or compensation for
Spanish asegurar, indemnizar
  • asegurarto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • indemnizarto make restitution or compensation for
  • refacerto make restitution or compensation for
Turkish (birinin zararına) kefil olmak, dokunulmazlık vermek
  • (birinin zararına) kefil olmakto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • dokunulmazlık vermekto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • korumakto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • teminat vermekto save harmless; to secure against loss or damage; to insure
  • tazmin etmekto make restitution or compensation for
Ukrainian відшкодо́вувати, відшкодува́ти
  • відшкодо́вувати (vidškodóvuvaty)to make restitution or compensation for
  • відшкодува́ти (vidškoduváty)to make restitution or compensation for
Cite this entry
APA

indemnify. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indemnify

MLA

“indemnify.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indemnify. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indemnify,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indemnify.

Source: indemnify on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.