Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense underwrites, present participle underwriting, past tense underwrote, past participle underwritten
verb
If an institution or company underwrites an activity or underwrites the cost of it, they agree to provide any money that is needed to cover losses or buy special equipment, often for an agreed fee.
[business]
...58,500 dollars to underwrite a new home. [VERB noun]
The government will have to create a special agency to underwrite small businessloans. [VERB noun]
Projects included a pilot scheme, underwritten by the trade department. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: finance, back, fund, guarantee More Synonyms of underwrite
More Synonyms of underwrite
underwrite in British English
(ˈʌndəˌraɪt, ˌʌndəˈraɪt)
verbWord forms: -writes, -writing, -wrote or -written(transitive)
1. finance
to undertake to purchase at an agreed price any unsold portion of (a public issue of shares, etc)
2.
to accept financial responsibility for (a commercial project or enterprise)
3. insurance
a.
to sign and issue (an insurance policy) thus accepting liability if specified losses occur
b.
to insure (a property or risk)
c.
to accept liability up to (a specified amount) in an insurance policy
4.
to write (words, a signature, etc) beneath (other written matter); subscribe
5.
to support or concur with (a decision, statement, etc) by or as if by signature
to write under something, esp. under something written; subscribe
2.
to agree to buy (an issue of stocks, bonds, etc.) on a given date and at a fixed price, or to guarantee the purchase of (stocks or bonds to be made available to the public for subscription)
3.
to subscribe or agree to, as by signature
4.
to agree to pay for the cost of or pledge to cover the financial losses of (an undertaking, etc.)
5. Insurance
a.
to write one's signature at the end of (an insurance policy), thus assuming liability in the event of specified loss or damage
b.
to insure
c.
to assume liability to the amount of (a specified sum)
verb intransitive
6.
to underwrite something
7.
to be in business as an underwriter
Word origin
ME underwriten, orig. used as transl. of L subscribere: see subscribe
underwrite in Finance
(ʌndərraɪt)
Word forms: (present) underwrites, (past) underwrote, (perfect) underwritten, (progressive) underwriting
verb
(Finance: Investment)
If an investment bank underwrites securities, it manages the issuing of securities for a company.
In underwriting, one or more securities firms or banks, forming a syndicate, buy an entire issueof bonds from an issuer and re-sell them to investors.
Facebook chose JP Morgan Chase to underwrite its IPO.
If an investment bank underwrites securities, it manages the issuing of securities for a company.
underwrite in Insurance
(ʌndərraɪt)
Word forms: (present) underwrites, (past) underwrote, (perfect) underwritten, (progressive) underwriting
verb
(Insurance: Underwriting)
If an insurer underwrites an insurance policy or a risk, they accept liability if particular losses occur.
The physician's statement provides the insurance company with information relevantto underwriting a risk or settling a claim.
Insurers underwrite policies knowing and accepting the possibility of a limit loss.
If an insurer underwrites an insurance policy or a risk, they accept liability if particular losses occur.
underwriter, underwriting
Examples of 'underwrite' in a sentence
underwrite
The cost of underwriting share issues has more than doubled.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It has persuaded the banks to reduce their fees for underwriting the issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The heavily discounted price appears to have been necessary to ensure that the issue was fully underwritten by the banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Bankers said that the dearth of new issues meant that fees for underwriting new equity issues had also plummeted this year.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The rights issue is fully underwritten.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The largest have enough capital to underwrite issues themselves and see no reason why they cannot cut out the big investment banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That the City makes excessive profits underwriting rights issues looks beyond dispute.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
For decades a handful of specialist American insurers have underwritten bonds issued by local governments.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Finally, no pressure would be put on the company to have its issue underwritten.
Thompson, Sir Peter Sharing the Success - the story of NFC (1990)
They have not made a profit in 17 years from underwriting insurance.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Names typically provide only 40p of capital per pound of insurance they underwrite.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It has now brought its insurance and underwriting services in-house.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Insurance underwriting is again the centre of its focus - a core competence rather than an expensive habit.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
THIS international group focuses on insurance broking and underwriting.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
That restructure merged the investment bank's debt and equity underwriting businesses and combined its stock and bond sales units.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
One of the main areas of concern for shareholders is the fees that a consortium of investment banks will charge for underwriting the rights issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They wanted to make it easier and cheaper to offer banking, insurance and underwrite share issues under one roof.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It is part of the underwriting discipline the company insists on, which means walking away from business that does not offer a proper return.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Taxpayers are to be liable for clean-up bills running into many billions of pounds as ministers quietly underwrite the insurance costs of the nuclear industry.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Other financial apprentices end up working in banks as branch or business commercial relationship managers, or as broking or underwriting supervisors at insurance companies.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The Indonesian coalminer that he co-founded said yesterday that he was thinking about underwriting a rights issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The fully underwritten rights issue will no doubt be offered at a deep discount of between 20 per cent and 30 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The worry is that this trend makes it easier for companies to get an issue underwritten, without putting a convincing long-term investment case.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Bank entry will mean that, in the case of a new issue of securities, there will be more biddersto underwrite the issue.
Mishkin, Frederic S. Financial Markets, Institutions and Money (1995)
Currently the underwriting consists of a standby arrangement in which the lead banks will underwrite any rights issue, all the way down to just 5p a share.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
underwrite
British English: underwrite VERB
If an institution or company underwrites an activity or underwrites the cost of it, they agree to provide any money that is needed to cover losses or buy special equipment, often for an agreed fee.
The government will have to create a special agency to underwrite small business loans.
American English: underwrite
Brazilian Portuguese: subscrever
Chinese: 同意资助
European Spanish: asegurar
French: garantir
German: garantieren
Italian: finanziare
Japanese: 費用を引き受ける
Korean: 승인하다
European Portuguese: subscrever
Latin American Spanish: asegurar
1 (verb)
Definition
to accept financial responsibility for a commercial project or enterprise
a special agency to underwrite small business loans
Synonyms
finance
new taxes to finance increased military expenditure
back
Murjani backed him to start the new company.
fund
The foundation has funded a variety of faculty programs.
guarantee
sponsor
They are sponsoring a major pop art exhibition.
insure
We automatically insure your furniture and belongings against fire.
ratify
subsidize
a government decision to subsidize coal mining
bankroll (informal)
provide security
provide capital for
2 (verb)
Definition
to sign and issue an insurance policy, thus accepting liability
Synonyms
sign
I got him to sign my copy of his book.
initial
Would you mind initialling this voucher?
endorse
The payee must endorse the cheque.
subscribe
countersign
3 (verb)
Definition
to support
Synonyms
support
agree to
approve
MPs approved the bill by a majority of 97.
sanction
He may seem ready to sanction the use of force.
consent
I was a little surprised when she consented to my proposal.
O.K. or okay (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of approve
Definition
to authorize or agree to
MPs approved the bill by a majority of 97.
Synonyms
agree to,
second,
allow,
pass,
accept,
confirm,
recommend,
permit,
sanction,
advocate,
bless,
endorse,
uphold,
mandate,
authorize,
ratify,
go along with,
subscribe to,
consent to,
buy into (informal),
validate,
countenance,
rubber stamp,
accede to,
give the go-ahead to (informal),
give the green light to,
assent to,
concur in,
greenlight,
O.K. or okay (informal)
in the sense of back
Definition
to provide money for (a person or enterprise)
Murjani backed him to start the new company.
Synonyms
subsidize,
help,
support,
finance,
sponsor,
assist,
underwrite
in the sense of consent
Definition
to permit or agree (to)
I was a little surprised when she consented to my proposal.
Synonyms
agree,
approve,
yield,
permit,
comply,
concur,
assent,
accede,
acquiesce,
play ball (informal)
Synonyms of 'underwrite'
underwrite
Explore 'underwrite' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of endorse
Definition
to sign the back of (a cheque) to specify the payee
The payee must endorse the cheque.
Synonyms
sign,
initial,
countersign,
sign on the back of,
superscribe,
undersign
in the sense of fund
Definition
to provide money to
The foundation has funded a variety of faculty programs.
Synonyms
finance,
back,
support,
pay for,
promote,
float,
endow,
subsidize,
stake,
capitalize,
provide money for,
put up the money for
in the sense of initial
Definition
to sign with one's initials, esp. to indicate approval
Would you mind initialling this voucher?
Synonyms
sign,
endorse,
subscribe,
autograph,
inscribe,
set your hand to
in the sense of insure
Definition
to guarantee or protect (against risk or loss)
We automatically insure your furniture and belongings against fire.
Synonyms
assure,
cover,
protect,
guarantee,
warrant,
underwrite,
indemnify
in the sense of sanction
Definition
to officially approve of or allow
He may seem ready to sanction the use of force.
Synonyms
permit,
back,
support,
allow,
approve,
entitle,
endorse,
authorize,
countenance,
vouch for,
lend your name to
in the sense of sponsor
Definition
to act as a sponsor for (someone or something)
They are sponsoring a major pop art exhibition.
Synonyms
back,
fund,
finance,
promote,
subsidize,
patronize,
put up the money for,
act as a guarantor for,
lend your name to
in the sense of subsidize
Definition
to aid or support (an industry, a person, a public service, or a venture) with money