compensation

[ kom-puhn-sey-shuhn ]

/ ˌkɒm pənˈseɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for compensation on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

the state of being compensated or rewarded in this way.

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.

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

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR compensation

3 recompense, payment, amends, reparation; requital, satisfaction, indemnification.

See synonyms for compensation on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of compensation

1350–1400; Middle English compensacioun<Latin compēnsātiōn- (stem of compēnsātiō), equivalent to compēnsāt(us) (see compensate) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM compensation

com·pen·sa·tion·al, adjectivenon·com·pen·sa·tion, nounpre·com·pen·sa·tion, nounpro·com·pen·sa·tion, adjective

sub·com·pen·sa·tion, nounsub·com·pen·sa·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby compensation

compensated acidosis, compensated alkalosis, compensated grade, compensated semiconductor, compensating balance, compensation, compensation culture, compensation neurosis, compensation order, compensation point, compensatory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use compensation in a sentence

The case ultimately came to the Supreme Court, which in 1988 unanimously rejected Falwell’s claim that he was entitled to financial compensation for a parody calculated to inflict ridicule and emotional distress.
Larry Flynt, pornographer and self-styled First Amendment champion, dies at 78|Paul W. Valentine|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
It also intends to expand the prohibition on confidentiality and nondisparagement clauses to cover employment agreements that tie these clauses to severance compensation.
NDAs have long been used to silence the abused, advocates say. A new law may change that.|Paulina Villegas|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
That change would make workers’ compensation available to those who die or are disabled from the disease.
Virginia’s General Assembly heads to special session with bipartisan momentum on coronavirus relief bills|Gregory S. Schneider, Laura Vozzella|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
The costly compensation contributes to the state’s top rank for property taxes.
How the Police Bank Millions Through Their Union Contracts|by Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press, and Agnes Chang, Jeff Kao and Agnel Philip, ProPublica|February 8, 2021|ProPublica

She believes salaries will start to level out as workforces become more geographically dispersed thanks to remote working, so companies better get on top of their compensation methodologies, quickly.
‘We’ll get harder and faster policies around pay’: The future of remote working on big city salaries|Jessica Davies|February 8, 2021|Digiday
That precludes paying much mind to attribution or compensation.
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer|Arthur Chu|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At first glance, it might be tempting to interpret this extravagant level of compensation as a victory for the once-humble intern.
Silicon Valley Interns Make a Service Worker’s Yearly Salary In Three Months|Samantha Allen|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An industry source said Pippa's compensation will be in the Chelsea Clinton range.
NBC’s Today Show ‘Hires’ Pippa Middleton|Lloyd Grove, Tom Sykes|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This allows for artist compensation based on revenue rather than royalty, as Spotify does.
Taylor Swift Dumps Spotify, Igniting Turf War Between Spotify and Apple|Dale Eisinger|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sociologists refer to this sort of in-midair rapid switch as risk compensation.
Ebola Might Be Sexually Transmitted|Kent Sepkowitz|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My schooling was shocking but, as a blessed compensation, my college stage was rather exceptionally good.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
She had expected personality, magnetism, as a compensation for nature's external economies.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
First, a voluntary undertaking to work for another without compensation cannot be enforced.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
Directors in most cases receive no compensation though the practice is growing of rewarding them.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
A director who performs a different service, serves as an attorney, for example, may receive compensation for it.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for compensation

compensation

/ (ˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃən) /

noun

the act or process of making amends for something

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

the automatic movements made by the body to maintain balance

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

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

Derived forms of compensation

compensational, adjective

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

Medical definitions for compensation

compensation

[ kŏm′pən-sā′shən ]

A process in which a tendency for a change in a given direction is counteracted by another change so that the original change is not evident.

An unconscious psychological mechanism by which one tries to make up for imagined or real deficiencies in personality or physical ability.

compensation

OTHER WORDS FOR compensation

Origin of compensation

OTHER WORDS FROM compensation

Words nearby compensation

Words related to compensation

How to use compensation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for compensation

Derived forms of compensation

Medical definitions for compensation