coinsure: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Technical, Financial
Quick answer
What does “coinsure” mean?
To insure jointly with others.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To insure jointly with others; to provide or share insurance coverage, typically where risk is spread among multiple insurers.
More broadly, to arrange or participate in a shared financial guarantee against risk, often used in contexts of large-scale or high-value insurance policies. Figuratively, can imply a mutual sharing of responsibility or protection.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning. Spelling is consistent. The term is rare in both varieties but appears in identical professional/insurance contexts.
Connotations
Technical/legal precision in both. No additional cultural connotations.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both general corpora. Slightly more attested in British financial/legal texts historically, but equally specialized in modern American English.
Grammar
How to Use “coinsure” in a Sentence
[Subject] coinsures [Object] (with [Co-insurer])[Object] is coinsured (by [Subject] and [Co-insurer])Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “coinsure” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Several Lloyd's syndicates agreed to coinsure the new container ship.
- The historic building was coinsured by a consortium of European firms.
American English
- The two companies will coinsure the pipeline project to limit individual exposure.
- The artwork collection is coinsured by three major carriers.
adverb
British English
- [Not standard]
American English
- [Not standard]
adjective
British English
- [Rare as adjective. Use 'jointly insured' or 'co-insured']. The coinsured parties met to discuss the claim.
American English
- [Rare as adjective]. The coinsured risk was detailed in the contract appendix.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Standard in insurance and reinsurance contracts to describe shared underwriting of major risks like shipping fleets or industrial plants.
Academic
Used in economics, law, and risk management papers discussing risk distribution models.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Core term in insurance law and practice, detailing the mechanisms of multi-party insurance agreements.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “coinsure”
- Misspelling as 'co-insure' (hyphenated form is less common in modern professional writing).
- Confusing with 'reinsure' (to insure an insurer).
- Using intransitively (e.g., 'They coinsure' without an object).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Coinsure' means to provide initial insurance coverage jointly with others. 'Reinsure' is when an insurance company itself buys insurance from another company to spread its own risk (insurance for insurers).
No, it is a highly specialized term used almost exclusively in the insurance, finance, and legal professions. The average native speaker may not know it.
Typically, no. The term is used for contractual arrangements between insurers or between an insurer and a major client for large risks. A standard personal car policy is just 'insured', though multiple owners might be 'named insureds' on a single policy.
A common clause in property insurance policies requiring the policyholder to insure the property to a specified percentage (e.g., 80%) of its value, or else share in any loss. This is related but distinct from the verb 'coinsure'.
To insure jointly with others.
Coinsure is usually formal, technical, financial in register.
Coinsure: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkəʊɪnˈʃʊə(r)/, /ˌkəʊɪnˈʃɔː(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkoʊɪnˈʃʊr/, /ˌkoʊɪnˈʃɝ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly associated]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CO-INSURANCE'. Just as a 'co-pilot' shares flying duties, to 'coinsure' means to share the insurance duty/risk with another company.
Conceptual Metaphor
INSURANCE IS A SHARED BURDEN / RISK IS A LOAD DISTRIBUTED AMONG CARRIERS.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'coinsure'?