verb
Freq #11159
Meanings
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1
verb
To pay someone money, usually for loss, injury, or work done.
The airline compensated passengers for the cancelled flight.
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2
verb
To make up for something bad or lacking with something good.
His loud voice cannot compensate for a lack of personality.
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3
verb
To adjust or adapt in order to balance out a change or problem.
That old car steers to the left, so I'm forever compensating when I drive it.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Word family
Forms
compensatedcompensatescompensatingcompensatory
Derived forms
compensatablecompensatordecompensatemalcompensatemiscompensateovercompensateprecompensaterecompensateundercompensate
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin compēnsātus, perfect passive participle of compensō (“to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good”), -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more.
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