ETYM Latin indemnitas, from indemnis uninjured: cf. French indemnité. Related to Indemnify.
1. Legal exemption from liability for damages.
2. Protection against future loss; SYN. insurance.
In law, an undertaking to compensate another for damage, loss, trouble, or expenses, or the money paid by way of such compensation—for example, under fire insurance agreements.
In some laws, government officials are protected from paying indemnities and as such are “indemnified”. Similarly directors of nonprofit corporations may be indemnified or corporations may indemnify their officers and directors by the purchase of insurance.