compensatory

[kuh m-pen-suh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]

adjective

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

Also com·pen·sa·tive

[kom-puh n-sey-tiv, kuh m-pen-suh-] /ˈkɒm pənˌseɪ tɪv, kəmˈpɛn sə-/.

Origin of compensatory

First recorded in 1595–1605; compensate + -ory¹

Related formsnon·com·pen·sa·tive, adjectivenon·com·pen·sa·to·ry, adjectivere·com·pen·sa·to·ry, adjectivesub·com·pen·sa·tive, adjectivesub·com·pen·sa·to·ry, adjectiveun·com·pen·sa·tive, adjectiveun·com·pen·sa·to·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Word Origin and History for noncompensatory

compensatory

adj.

c.1600, from French compensatoire, from Latin compensatus, past participle of compensare (see compensate). Psychological sense is from 1921.

noncompensatory in Medicine

compensatory

[kəm-pĕn′sə-tôr′ē]

adj.

Relating to or characterized by compensation.