What does reassurance mean?
Reassurance is the comfort, support, or renewed confidence provided to someone who is worried, uncertain, or facing an unsettling situation. It can come from a reassuring person, such as a calm and attentive doctor, or from information that reduces anxiety, such as evidence that a problem is less serious than expected. In this sense, reassurance helps restore a person’s sense of security and trust in the future. The word can also refer to a statement or guarantee intended to relieve concern. Unlike simple agreement, reassurance specifically addresses fear or doubt. It is widely used in everyday speech as well as in medical, legal, financial, and educational contexts, where it can convey either emotional support or a practical assurance that a situation is being handled.
nounThe provision of comfort, support, or renewed confidence, especially in response to anxiety, doubt, or uncertainty. It can also mean a statement or assurance intended to relieve someone’s concerns.
- Comfort or support given to someone who is anxious, worried, or uncertain.
- A statement, fact, or guarantee intended to relieve concern or restore confidence.
"The doctor’s calm explanation provided great reassurance to the patient."
"She found some reassurance in hearing that the damage was not as serious as she had feared."
"The latest figures offer reassurance that the economy is beginning to recover."
Usually plural when referring to several specific statements, indications, or assurances intended to ease concern.
"The doctor offered several reassurances about the treatment."
Reassurance has a reassuringly simple idea: after uncertainty has unsettled us, it helps restore the sense that things are under control.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reassurance come from?
Reassurance comes from the verb “reassure,” formed in the early 19th century from the prefix re-, meaning again, and “assure.” The word “assure” derives through Old French from Latin securus, meaning safe or free from care. In the same period, “assurance” developed in English with meanings connected with confidence, security, and formal guarantees. These related English words ultimately reflect the same Latin root associated with being safe, secure, or free from anxiety.
Related word forms
How reassurance is actually used
Reassurance is common in both formal and informal contexts. It often implies a reduction in worry rather than the complete elimination of doubt. It is frequently used with verbs such as “provide,” “offer,” “seek,” and “give.”
Easily confused with reassurance
Reassurance usually means comfort or renewed confidence, whereas assurance can mean a promise, guarantee, or confident expectation.