What does indemnifying mean?
Indemnifying means protecting someone from loss by undertaking to compensate them or assume the legal consequences of a claim. The word is most common in contracts, insurance policies, employment agreements, and business arrangements. For example, a company may agree to indemnify a director against legal costs arising from lawful actions taken on its behalf. It has a distinctly formal, legal tone and is stronger and more specific than simply saying that someone is protected. In everyday conversation, “compensate” or “insure” may be more natural. The present participle is especially common in legal and financial documents, where it describes an obligation or provision that protects a person or organization from specified risks.
To compensate someone for loss or damage, especially by contract or insurance.
"The policy indemnifies the property owner against fire damage."
Formal and especially common in legal, insurance, and financial writing.
To protect a person or organization from legal liability by agreeing to cover the costs of a claim.
"The contract indemnifies the supplier against any claims resulting from the agreement."
Often used in legal documents with “against” or “for.”
To indemnify is to make someone whole: the word comes from a Latin idea of being free from loss or damage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does indemnifying come from?
Indemnify derives from Latin indemnis, meaning “free from loss or damage,” formed from the prefix in- and damnum, “loss” or “damage.” The English verb developed in the 17th century in the sense of securing someone against loss and later came to include compensation for loss. It is closely related to indemnity and indemnitor, which preserve the same Latin root and legal-financial meanings.
Related word forms
How indemnifying is actually used
A formal term used especially in contracts, insurance, employment law, and finance. It commonly appears with legal responsibility or loss: “indemnify against” or “indemnify for.”
Easily confused with indemnifying
Indemnify is a verb meaning to compensate or protect someone, whereas indemnity is a noun meaning compensation, protection, or a legal right to be made whole.