indemnity

in·dem·ni·ty
I1N1D2E1M3N1I1T1Y4
/ɪnˈdɛmnɪti/

noun

Security from damage, loss, or penalty.

“Near-synonyms: insurance, assurance”

Less commonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounindemnity (countable and uncountable, plural indemnities)

plural indemnities

  1. countableuncountableSecurity from damage, loss, or penalty.

    Near-synonyms: insurance, assurance

    1 more example

    And all this, it will be said, the Duke of Orleans might have prevented by an effective treaty, securing an act of indemnity.

    1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IX, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 101

    Synonyms: indemnification, insurance, assurance

  2. countableuncountablelawAn obligation or duty upon an individual to incur the losses of another.

    Near-synonyms: liability, responsibility

    Synonyms: indemnification, liability, responsibility

  3. countableuncountableRepayment; compensation for loss or injury.

    Near-synonyms: reparations, recompense, recompensation; see also Thesaurus:compensation

    1 more example

    It would have been wise to modify rather than revoke the proclamation. But the Allies went further. Now, for the first time, were heard the words of indemnity for the past, and security for the future.

    1859, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, The Life and Times of Charles James Fox, volume II, London: Richard Bentley, page 363

    Synonyms: indemnification, reparations, recompense, recompensation, amends, acquittal, assyth, bote

  4. countableuncountablelawThe right of an injured party to shift the loss onto the party responsible for the loss.

    Synonyms: indemnification

  5. countableuncountablebusinessA principle of insurance which provides that when a loss occurs, the insured should be restored to the approximate financial condition occupied before the loss occurred, no better, no worse.

    Synonyms: indemnification

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSecurity from damage, loss, or penalty.

nounAn obligation or duty upon an individual to incur the losses of another.

nounThe right of an injured party to shift the loss onto the party responsible for the loss.

nounA principle of insurance which provides that when a loss occurs, the insured should be restored to the approximate financial condition occupied before the loss occurred, no better, no worse.

More synonyms by meaning

nounprotection against future loss

Similar

nouna sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinindemnis“undamaged”
  2. Late Latinindemnitās“security from damage”
  3. Middle Frenchindemnité
  4. Middle Englishindempnite
  5. Englishindemnity

From late Middle English indempnite, from Middle French indemnité, from Late Latin indemnitās (“security from damage”), from Latin indemnis (“undamaged”), from in- (“not”) + damnum (“damage”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обезщетение, компенсация
  • обезщетение (obezštetenie)repayment
  • компенсация (kompensacija)repayment
Catalan indemnització
  • indemnitzaciórepayment
Chinese Mandarin 賠款 /赔款
  • 賠款 /赔款 (péikuǎn)repayment
Finnish korvausvelvollisuus, korvaus
  • korvausvelvollisuusobligation or duty
  • korvausrepayment
  • hyvitysrepayment
  • vahingonkorvausrepayment
  • maksunpalautusrepayment
  • oikeus vahingonkorvaukseenright
  • korvausvelvollisuusinsurance: principle
French garantie, indemnité
  • garantieobligation or duty
  • indemnitérepayment
  • compensationinsurance: principle
German Erstattung, Rückzahlung
  • Erstattungrepayment
  • Rückzahlungrepayment
  • Kompensationrepayment
  • Schadloshaltunginsurance: principle
  • Indemnitätinsurance: principle
Hindi क्षतिपूर्ति
  • क्षतिपूर्ति (kṣatipūrti)repayment
Hungarian kártérítés, kártalanítás
  • kártérítésrepayment
  • kártalanításrepayment
  • jóvátételrepayment
Indonesian indemnitas
  • indemnitasinsurance: principle
Irish cúiteamh, slánú
  • cúiteamhobligation or duty
  • slánúobligation or duty
  • slánúrepayment
  • cúiteamhright
  • cúiteamhinsurance: principle
Malay indemniti
  • indemnitiinsurance: principle
Portuguese indenidade, indenização
  • indenidadeobligation or duty
  • indenizaçãorepayment
  • indenidaderepayment
Russian компенса́ция, возмеще́ние
  • компенса́ция (kompensácija)repayment
  • возмеще́ние (vozmeščénije)repayment
  • вы́плата (výplata)repayment
  • контрибу́ция (kontribúcija)repayment
  • гара́нтия от убы́тков (garántija ot ubýtkov)right
  • гара́нтия от поте́рь (garántija ot potérʹ)right
  • индемните́т (indɛmnitét)right
  • индемните́т (indemnitét)right
  • освобожде́ние (osvoboždénije)right
  • индемните́т (indemnitét)insurance: principle
Slovak odškodné
  • odškodnéobligation or duty
Spanish indemnidad
  • indemnidadinsurance: principle
Swedish skadeersättning, ersättning
  • skadeersättningrepayment
  • ersättningrepayment
  • kompensationrepayment
Tamil இழப்பீடு
  • இழப்பீடு (iḻappīṭu)repayment
Turkish tazminat
  • tazminatrepayment
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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