compensatory

American  

[kuhm-pen-suh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / kəmˈpɛn səˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

Also compensative

adjective

1. serving to compensate, as for loss, lack, or injury.

2. countercyclical.

---

Other Word Forms

• noncompensative
  adjective
• noncompensatory
  adjective
• recompensatory
  adjective
• subcompensative
  adjective
• subcompensatory
  adjective
• uncompensative
  adjective
• uncompensatory
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of compensatory

First recorded in 1595–1605; compensate + -ory ¹

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compensatory

Arama, an early researcher of these nonlethal caspase functions, suspected that they might also help drive compensatory proliferation.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

When one Indiana walking club formerly using the hot-girl designation rebranded as “Hotwalk Indy,” Lind filed for compensatory damages.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Soto is seeking an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Yet North Carolina, which doesn’t limit the amount of compensatory damages that can be awarded, remains the most aggressive battleground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Still others projected their hurts and longings into more naive and mundane forms—blues, jazz, swing—and, without intellectual guidance, tried to build up a compensatory nourishment for themselves.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---