take out insurance for
"You should insure your new car against theft and damage before you drive it off the lot."
To provide for compensation if some specified risk occurs. Often agreed by policy (contract) to offer financial compensation in case of an accident, theft or other undesirable event.
"The company will insure the shipment against any loss during transit."
In plain English: To insure means to pay money for protection against loss so you get paid back if something bad happens.
"She insured her car against theft and damage before driving away from home."
Usage: Use insure when referring specifically to obtaining protection against loss through a formal contract or insurance policy. Do not use it as a general synonym for protect or guarantee unless the context involves paying premiums and issuing coverage documents.
First appearing around 1440 from the Anglo-Norman phrase for "to make sure," the word originally meant to guarantee something. By 1635, it took on its specific modern sense of protecting against financial loss through payment, gradually replacing the similar term assure.