reinsurance
UK[ˌriːɪnˈʃʊərəns]US[ˌriːɪnˈʃʊrəns]
n
insurance purchased by an insurance company to protect itself against the risk of very large claims.
n
the practice or system by which insurers protect themselves from very large losses by spreading the risk among other insurers.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
in
surance
re
again
in
into
surance
security
Etymology
the word "reinsurance" is a modern financial term built upon the older word "insurance". it combines the latin prefix "re-", indicating repetition, with the core noun "insurance", which itself derives from the latin verb "securus" meaning "free from care". the literal construction implies "securing again" or "providing assurance a second time". this directly reflects its function: an insurer transfers, or secures again, a portion of its own risk to another insurer. the logic is transparent, showing how classical morphemes were repurposed to create precise terminology for complex risk management practices in the modern era.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + in (into) + surance (security)
re: latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
in: latin origin, a prefix meaning "into" or "upon".
surance: from old french, ultimately from latin 'securus' meaning "secure", functioning as the core noun form meaning "security" or "assurance".
Examples
the primary insurer bought reinsurance to cover potential catastrophic losses from the hurricane.
the global reinsurance market helps stabilize the insurance industry after major disasters.
the contract details the terms of the reinsurance treaty between the two companies.