BharatNotes Underwriting
noun (also the present participle / gerund of the verb "underwrite")Usage in a UPSC answer
By underwriting crop-insurance premiums for marginal farmers, the state effectively socialises agrarian risk, shielding the rural economy from the volatility of an increasingly erratic monsoon.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
underwrite (v), underwriter (n), underwritten (adj), underwrote (v past), underwritable (adj)
Root
Old English underwrītan = to write under, subscribe; loan-translation of Latin subscribere
Etymology
From Old English underwrītan ("to write under, subscribe"), a loan-translation of Latin subscribere; the insurance sense (1620s) derives from the practice of signing one's name under risk details on a Lloyd's of London slip.
Memory Hook
Think "write UNDER your name to take on the risk" — at Lloyd's, backers signed UNDER the risk on the slip, so they were UNDERWRITING it.
Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation
