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
-
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
compensatornoun
-
precompensateverb (used with object)
-
recompensateverb (used with object)
-
subcompensateverb (used with object)
-
compensatoryadjective
-
noncompensatedadjective
-
noncompensatingadjective
-
uncompensatedadjective
-
uncompensatingadjective
-
well-compensatedadjective
-
compensatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
compensatesimple
-
compensatessimple
-
have compensatedperfect
-
has compensatedperfect
-
am compensatingprogressive
-
are compensatingprogressive
-
is compensatingprogressive
-
have been compensatingperfect progressive
-
has been compensatingperfect progressive
Past
-
compensatedsimple
-
had compensatedperfect
-
was compensatingprogressive
-
were compensatingprogressive
-
had been compensatingperfect progressive
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Crucible
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It’s going to be an interesting couple of seasons seeing if the defensive capabilities of those signed can compensate for Doncic’s lack of it in that area.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2026
The Fed agreed to accept periods of slightly higher inflation to compensate for past shortfalls.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
That causes its stock price to fall until its expected future return is high enough to compensate investors for the additional risk created by that greater volatility.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026
"This is the gap of performance that we are trying now to compensate through developments and upgrades that we bring during the season."
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
“You must allow me to compensate you for your idea,” he said, pulling his wallet out of his pocket.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
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.
