compensation

[kom-puhn-sey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or state of compensating, as by rewarding someone for service or by making up for someone's loss, damage, or injury by giving the injured party an appropriate benefit.

2. the state of being compensated or rewarded in this way.

3. something given or received as an equivalent for services, debt, loss, injury, suffering, lack, etc.; indemnity.

   The insurance company paid him $2000 as compensation for the loss of his car.

   Synonyms: indemnification, satisfaction, requital, reparation, amends, payment, recompense

4. Biology.,  the improvement of any defect by the excessive development or action of another structure or organ of the same structure.

5. Psychology.,  a mechanism by which an individual attempts to make up for some real or imagined deficiency of personality or behavior by developing or stressing another aspect of the personality or by substituting a different form of behavior.

compensation

/ ˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of making amends for something

2. something given as reparation for loss, injury, etc; indemnity

3. the automatic movements made by the body to maintain balance

4. the attempt to conceal or offset one's shortcomings by the exaggerated exhibition of qualities regarded as desirable

5. biology abnormal growth and increase in size in one organ in response to the removal or inactivation of another

Other Word Forms

• compensational adjective
• noncompensation noun
• precompensation noun
• procompensation adjective
• subcompensation noun
• subcompensational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compensation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English compensacioun, from Latin compēnsātiōn-, stem of compēnsātiō “a balancing”; equivalent to compensate + -ion

Example Sentences

“Now we have legal clarity, it’s time their customers get fair compensation.”

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To allay fears, GM tried to get every single worker to sign an agreement waiving their right to sue in exchange for compensation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He will donate his full compensation from the roles to The Richmond Project, a charity run by him and wife Akshata Murty that aims to improve numeracy in the U.K.,

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The huge trial will have ramifications for other manufacturers, potentially paving the way for "billions of pounds" in compensation, said Martyn Day, lawyer at Leigh Day representing the claimants.

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Putin vowed to hold those responsible accountable and to offer compensation.

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Related Words

• allowance 
• benefit 
• bonus 
• coverage 
• earnings 
• fee 
• indemnity 
• pay 
• payment 
• payoff 
• premium 
• profit 
• redress 
• reimbursement 
• remittance 
• remuneration 
• reparation 
• restitution 
• reward 
• salary