underwrite

CEFRC1

/ˈʌndəɹaɪt/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To agree to pay for a loss or support a project financially.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To sign; to put one's name to.

Examples

  • Not every company can afford to underwrite such an expensive event.

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

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To subscribe (a document, policy etc.) with one's name.

  2. To write below or under; subscribe.

  3. To agree to pay by signing one's name; subscribe.

More examples

In context

  • Diſguiſe the holy ſtrength of their command: / And vnder write in an obſeruing kinde

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The bank agreed to blank the entire project by providing the necessary funds.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English underwriten, from Old English underwrītan (“to write at the foot of, write under, subscribe”). Compare Dutch onderschrijven (“to endorse”), German unterschreiben (“to sign; endorse”), Danish underskrive (“to sign; endorse”). By surface analysis, under- + write.