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Synonyms

comp

1 American  
[komp] / kɒmp /

noun

  1. a ticket, book, service, etc., provided free of charge to specially chosen recipients.

adjective

  1. complimentary; free of charge.

    I received a comp copy of her book.

verb (used with object)

  1. to provide with a comp.

    Some casinos comped the biggest spenders, providing rooms and meals on the house.

  2. to provide free of charge.

    His meals and drinks at the hotel were often comped.
comp 2 American  
[komp] / kɒmp /

noun

  1. a compositor.

  2. composition.

verb (used with object)

  1. to compose (type).

comp 3 American  
[komp] / kɒmp /

verb (used without object)

Jazz.

  1. to accompany a soloist with a succession of irregularly spaced chords that punctuate the rhythm.

comp 4 American  
[komp] / kɒmp /

noun

Informal.

  1. comprehensive.

comp 5 American  
[komp] / kɒmp /

noun

Informal.

  1. compensation.

    workers' comp;

    unemployment comp.
comp. 6 American  

abbreviation

  1. comparative.

  2. compare.

  3. compensation.

  4. compilation.

  5. compiled.

  6. compiler.

  7. complement.

  8. complete.

  9. composition.

  10. compositor.

  11. compound.

  12. comprehensive.

comp British  
/ kɒmp /

noun

  1. a compositor

  2. an accompanist

  3. an accompaniment

  4. a competition

"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

verb

  1. (intr) to work as a compositor in the printing industry

  2. to play an accompaniment (to)

"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

Etymology

Origin of comp1

First recorded in 1885–90; by shortening of complimentary

Origin of comp2

First recorded in 1865–70; shortened form

Origin of comp3

An Americanism first recorded in 1945–50; shortening of accompany

Origin of comp4

By shortening

Origin of comp5

By shortening

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.

For the January showcase, tickets sold out in 15 minutes, and actors struggled to comp their friends and family.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

"When I went to comp, I was in top sets," she said.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

“Labor costs, workers’ comp, it has all skyrocketed,” says Stephen Sandoval, co-founder and executive chef at Chicago’s Trino steakhouse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

The argument in favor of using the non-GAAP profits is that stock comp is noncash expense.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

“You other people are out of a job! Heh heh. Learn comp sci.”

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

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.