What does "underwrite" mean?
To write below or under; subscribe.
Underwrite
/ˈʌndəɹaɪt/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To write below or under; subscribe.
- Grammar: underwrite is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cover, insure, accede to, accept.
- Useful contrasts: decline, deny, refuse.
- Usage evidence: Not every company can afford to underwrite such an expensive event.
How to use "underwrite"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "underwrite" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "underwrite" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "underwrite" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "underwrite" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "underwrite" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cover" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "underwrite", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To write below or under; subscribe. transitive
- 2 guarantee financial support of wordnet
- 3 To subscribe (a document, policy etc.) with one's name. intransitive, obsolete, transitive
- 4 protect by insurance wordnet
- 5 To sign; to put one's name to. transitive
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 To agree to pay by signing one's name; subscribe. transitive
- 7 Specifically, to assume financial responsibility for something, and guarantee it against failure. transitive
"Dr. Beeching's obvious intent is that if Scottish—and similarly unprofitable English and Welsh—railways are to be maintained, it must be done by an unconcealed subsidy; he is determined that the railways shall no longer be preoccupied with—and derided for—immense deficits which include the burden of social services the State must openly underwrite, if it wants them."
- 8 To act as an underwriter. intransitive
"The broker who procures the insurance […]ought not, by underwriting the policy, to deprive the parties of his unbiased testimony."
- 9 To support, lend support to, guarantee the basis of. transitive
- 10 To submit to; put up with. obsolete, transitive
"Diſguiſe the holy ſtrength of their command: / And vnder write in an obſeruing kinde"
Example
"Not every company can afford to underwrite such an expensive event."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "underwrite"?
Common synonyms include: cover, insure, accede to, accept, accredit, affirm.
How do you use "underwrite" in a sentence?
Not every company can afford to underwrite such an expensive event.
How do you pronounce "underwrite"?
Pronounced /ˈʌndəɹaɪt/.
Etymology
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.