English Explanatory Dictionary

compensate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To do (something good) after (something bad) happens.
  2. To pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration.
  3. To make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct, satisfy; to reach an agreement such that the scales are literally or (metaphorically) balanced; to equalize or make even.
  4. To adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/ /ˈkɒm.pɛn.seɪt/ /ˈkɑm.pənˌseɪt/ en-us-compensate.ogg /ˈkɔm.penˌsæɪt/

Word forms

compensate compensates compensating compensated no-table-tags glossary compensatest compensatedst compensateth

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin compēnsātus, perfect passive participle of compensō (“to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good”), -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more.

Synonyms

reimburse offset acclimate accommodate accustom adapt accord amend appease atone equate expiate harmonize indemnify level reconcile rectify redeem redress remedy remunerate requite resolve restitute and restitution square compensate compense dispense make good make up recompense restore guerdon acclimatize

Related words

compensation compensatory compensable compensably recompense

Derived words

compensatable compensator decompensate malcompensate miscompensate overcompensate precompensate recompensate undercompensate
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