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.

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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

He has demanded both compensatory damages to redress his own harms as well as punitive damages “to deter future unconstitutional conduct.”

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages to the plaintiff, a now-20-year-old woman named Kaley, whose last name was redacted in the case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The panel awarded $3 million in compensatory damages, assigning Meta 70 percent of the responsibility for the plaintiff's harm -- a $2.1 million share -- and YouTube the remaining 30 percent, or $900,000.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The compensatory damages for medical claims ranged between $40,000 and $240,000 per client.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

I do this sometimes as a compensatory tactic.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides