What does assurable mean?
"Assurable" is a formal adjective describing something that can be assured — that is, guaranteed, made certain, or covered by an assurance. It derives from the verb "assure," which entered English from Old French and ultimately from the Latin root *securus*, meaning "free from care." The word is rare in modern usage, appearing mostly in legal, financial, and insurance contexts, particularly where a risk, liability, or outcome can be formally guaranteed. For example, an underwriter might weigh whether a venture's risks are assurable, or an auditor might confirm that a debt is fully assurable under a given policy. Because it overlaps closely with the much more common "insurable," writers should choose it deliberately: "assurable" can suggest certainty more broadly, not merely coverage by a policy. Its scarcity gives it a precise, technical flavor, making it useful in professional writing where the distinction between mere possibility and genuine guarantee matters.
Capable of being assured, guaranteed, or made certain.
"The lawyer advised that only the fixed portion of the settlement was truly assurable."
Rare and formal; prefer "insurable" when referring specifically to insurance coverage.
Able to be covered by an assurance, especially a life assurance policy.
"The applicant's age and health made the policy straightforwardly assurable."
Chiefly relevant in British insurance contexts, where "assurance" traditionally denotes life cover.
While everyone talks about what's "insurable," its rarer cousin "assurable" quietly covers anything that can be made certain at all.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of assurable
"Assurable" is formed from the verb "assure" plus the adjectival suffix "-able." The verb "assure" came into Middle English from Old French *asseurer*, itself from Late Latin *assecurare*, meaning "to make safe or secure," built on the Latin root *securus* ("free from care"). This same root gives English "sure," "secure," "assurance," and "ensure." "Assurable" developed as a derivative form, attested from around the early modern period, though it has always remained a marginal word beside its sibling "insurable."
Related word forms
How assurable is actually used
"Assurable" is a rare, formal word, far less common than "insurable." It appears mainly in legal, financial, and insurance writing, and in British English it may carry a connection to "life assurance" (as distinct from general insurance). In everyday prose, writers almost always choose "insurable" or rephrase with "can be assured."
Easily confused with assurable
"Insurable" is the standard term for something that can be covered by an insurance policy, while "assurable" is a rarer word that can also mean simply "capable of being made certain or guaranteed."
"Assured" describes something already guaranteed or certain (or a person who is self-confident), whereas "assurable" describes something that could still be assured.