compensate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to recompense for something.
They gave him ten dollars to compensate him for his trouble.
- Synonyms:
- pay, reward, remunerate
-
to counterbalance; offset; be equivalent to.
He compensated his homely appearance with great personal charm.
- Synonyms:
- countervail, counterpoise
-
Mechanics. to counterbalance (a force or the like); adjust or construct so as to offset or counterbalance variations or produce equilibrium.
-
to change the gold content of (a monetary unit) to counterbalance price fluctuations and thereby stabilize its purchasing power.
verb (used without object)
-
to provide or be an equivalent; make up; make amends (usually followed byfor ).
His occasional courtesies did not compensate for his general rudeness.
- Synonyms:
- atone
-
Psychology. to develop or employ mechanisms of compensation.
verb
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to make amends to (someone), esp for loss or injury
-
(tr) to serve as compensation or damages for (injury, loss, etc)
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to offset or counterbalance the effects of (a force, weight, movement, etc) so as to nullify the effects of an undesirable influence and produce equilibrium
-
(intr) to attempt to conceal or offset one's shortcomings by the exaggerated exhibition of qualities regarded as desirable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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compensatinglyadverb
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compensatornoun
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well-compensatedadjective
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noncompensatedadjective
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noncompensatingadjective
-
recompensateverb (used with object)
-
compensatoryadjective
-
uncompensatingadjective
-
uncompensatedadjective
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subcompensateverb (used with object)
-
precompensateverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have compensatedperfect
-
has compensatedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have been compensatingperfect progressive
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am compensatingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been compensatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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compensatingparticiple
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is compensatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are compensatingprogressive
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compensatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had compensatedperfect
-
was compensatingprogressive singular
-
compensatedparticiple
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compensatedsimple
-
had been compensatingperfect progressive
-
were compensatingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of compensate
First recorded in 1640–50, compensate is from the Latin word compēnsātus (past participle of compēnsāre to counterbalance, originally, to weigh together). See com-, pensive, -ate 1
Explanation
Compensate is about correcting for an imbalance. If you step in an unmarked pothole, the city may compensate you by paying your doctor bills treating a broken ankle. Compensate can also mean "to adjust for." So, if you did stumble into the pothole and injure your left leg, then you might compensate by leaning heavily on your right leg. Increasingly, compensate is used in place of pay. Day laborers are paid for their time, but executives are more likely to be compensated with a suite that includes salary and other benefits––what is commonly referred to as a compensation package.
Vocabulary lists containing compensate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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The Crucible
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Compensate with naps as needed and keep your room as dark as you can when you sleep during daylight hours.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2023
A version of this article appears in print on January 13, 2014, on page A9 of the New York edition with the headline: Proceeds of Bulger Items Will Compensate Victims.
From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2014
Compensate snowplow drivers for inches of snow cleared instead of by the hour—as Boston began doing in 2009—and they’ll miraculously start plowing faster.
From Slate • Jan. 7, 2013
The Fix: Compensate marketers on the ability of the current sales team to generate revenue and profit from the sales leads that marketing produces.
From Inc • Jan. 24, 2012
White shall not neutralize the black, nor good Compensate bad in man, absolve him so: Life's business being just the terrible choice.
From Familiar Quotations A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature by Bartlett, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
