compensate

B2 Topic:Money & Finance
US /ˈkɑm.pənˌseɪt/ UK /ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/
verb Freq #11159

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    To pay someone money, usually for loss, injury, or work done.

    The airline compensated passengers for the cancelled flight.

  2. 2
    verb

    To make up for something bad or lacking with something good.

    His loud voice cannot compensate for a lack of personality.

  3. 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
1 verb · to pay someone money,... recompensepay
2 verb · to make up for something... make upatoneredress
3 verb · to adjust or adapt in order... correctacclimatize
Word family
Forms compensatedcompensatescompensatingcompensatory
Derived forms compensatablecompensatordecompensatemalcompensatemiscompensateovercompensateprecompensaterecompensateundercompensate
Related forms compensablecompensablycompensationcompensatoryrecompense

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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Topics

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