compensate
to recompense for something: They gave him ten dollars to compensate him for his trouble.
to counterbalance; offset; be equivalent to: He compensated his homely appearance with great personal charm.
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.
to provide or be an equivalent; make up; make amends (usually followed by for): His occasional courtesies did not compensate for his general rudeness.
Psychology. to develop or employ mechanisms of compensation.
Origin of compensate
1Other words for compensate
Other words from compensate
- com·pen·sat·ing·ly, adverb
- com·pen·sa·tor, noun
- non·com·pen·sat·ed, adjective
- non·com·pen·sat·ing, adjective
- pre·com·pen·sate, verb (used with object), pre·com·pen·sat·ed, pre·com·pen·sat·ing.
- re·com·pen·sate, verb (used with object), re·com·pen·sat·ed, re·com·pen·sat·ing.
- sub·com·pen·sate, verb (used with object), sub·com·pen·sat·ed, sub·com·pen·sat·ing.
- un·com·pen·sat·ed, adjective
- un·com·pen·sat·ing, adjective
- well-com·pen·sat·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use compensate in a sentence
Allende had nationalized the mines—upsetting the mine owners, who were not compensated.
The mission calls for 34 teams of approximately 24 people who will be compensated with net salaries ranging from $8-10K.
Watching the World Cup is not just about witnessing a few over-compensated superstars pulling off impressive feats.
As an adult child of a 9/11 victim, Wirth was not compensated.
She rang them up, expecting to be compensated for, perhaps, accompanying a gentleman to lunch.
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Nor are these defects compensated by any high degree of merit in the delineation of the characters.
For the shortness of the sleeves he partly compensated with a pair of bright red worsted wristers.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydThe leaders of the little Panay army and their civilian colleagues had to be compensated for their acceptance of American rule.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanIf there were something rude and uncouth in old Schiller, it was amply compensated by his noble spirit.
My Ten Years' Imprisonment | Silvio PellicoThe beauty of the scenery, however, compensated for this defect of the roads.
British Dictionary definitions for compensate
/ (ˈkɒmpɛnˌseɪt) /
to make amends to (someone), esp for loss or injury
(tr) to serve as compensation or damages for (injury, loss, etc)
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
Origin of compensate
1Derived forms of compensate
- compensatory (ˈkɒmpɛnˌseɪtərɪ, kəmˈpɛnsətərɪ, -trɪ) or compensative (ˈkɒmpɛnˌseɪtɪv, kəmˈpɛnsə-), adjective
- compensator, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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