different between indemnify vs underwrite

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?d?m.n?.fa?/

Etymology 1

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

Verb

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

1. To secure against loss or damage; to insure.
   • 1670, Sir William Temple, letter to Lord Arlington, in The Works of Sir William Temple, page 101:

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

3. (chiefly law) To compensate or reimburse someone for some expense or injury.
   • 1906, Civil Code of the State of California^[1], page 405:

     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.

Derived terms

• indemnifiable
• indemnification
• indemnifier

Related terms

• indemnity

Translations

Etymology 2

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

Verb

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

1. (obsolete, rare) to hurt, to harm
   • 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.

   • 1593, Thomas Lodge, Life & Death of William Long Beard, E ij

     What harme the Rhodians haue doone thee, that thou so much indemnifiest them?

References

English

Etymology

From Middle English underwriten, from Old English underwr?tan (“to write at the foot of, write under, subscribe”), equivalent to under- +? write. Compare Dutch onderschrijven (“to endorse”), German unterschreiben (“to sign; endorse”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??nd??a?t/, /?nd???a?t/

Verb

underwrite (third-person singular simple present underwrites, present participle underwriting, simple past underwrote, past participle underwritten)

1. (transitive) To write below or under; subscribe.
2. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To subscribe (a document, policy etc.) with one's name.
3. (transitive) To sign; to put one's name to.
4. (transitive) To agree to pay by signing one's name; subscribe.
5. (transitive) Specifically, to assume financial responsibility for something, and guarantee it against failure.
6. (intransitive, insurance) To act as an underwriter.
   • 1810, Samuel Marshall, Of marine insurance

     The broker who procures the insurance […] ought not, by underwriting the policy, to deprive the parties of his unbiased testimony.

7. (transitive) To support, lend support to, guarantee the basis of.
8. (obsolete, transitive) To submit to; put up with.

Derived terms

• underwriter
• underwriting

Translations