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

Derived Forms

• ˌcompenˈsational, adjective

Other Words From

• compen·sation·al adjective
• noncom·pen·sation noun
• precom·pen·sation noun
• procom·pen·sation adjective
• subcom·pen·sation noun
• subcom·pen·sation·al 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

Tesla shareholders approved the compensation plan in 2018, which was once valued at $56 billion but fluctuates dramatically with Tesla’s stock price.

From Los Angeles Times

Newport council has asked a High Court judge to strike out a claim by James Howells, who is attempting to sue the local authority to gain access to the site or get £495m in compensation.

From BBC

She is seeking compensation of over £1bn on behalf of UK businesses.

From BBC

The occasion also marked the inauguration of a mosque the authorities have built for them over the bomb site, as a form of compensation.

From BBC

The lawsuit, filed in Colorado state court, seeks financial compensation for lost wages and an injunction to prevent similar agreements in the future.

From Salon

Related Words

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