compensate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to recompense for something.
They gave him ten dollars to compensate him for his trouble.
- Synonyms:
- pay, reward, remunerate
-
to counterbalance; offset; be equivalent to.
He compensated his homely appearance with great personal charm.
- Synonyms:
- countervail, counterpoise
-
Mechanics. to counterbalance (a force or the like); adjust or construct so as to offset or counterbalance variations or produce equilibrium.
-
to change the gold content of (a monetary unit) to counterbalance price fluctuations and thereby stabilize its purchasing power.
verb (used without object)
-
to provide or be an equivalent; make up; make amends (usually followed byfor ).
His occasional courtesies did not compensate for his general rudeness.
- Synonyms:
- atone
-
Psychology. to develop or employ mechanisms of compensation.
verb
-
to make amends to (someone), esp for loss or injury
-
(tr) to serve as compensation or damages for (injury, loss, etc)
-
to offset or counterbalance the effects of (a force, weight, movement, etc) so as to nullify the effects of an undesirable influence and produce equilibrium
-
(intr) to attempt to conceal or offset one's shortcomings by the exaggerated exhibition of qualities regarded as desirable
Other Word Forms
- compensatingly adverb
- compensator noun
- compensatory adjective
- noncompensated adjective
- noncompensating adjective
- precompensate verb (used with object)
- recompensate verb (used with object)
- subcompensate verb (used with object)
- uncompensated adjective
- uncompensating adjective
- well-compensated adjective
Etymology
Origin of compensate
First recorded in 1640–50, compensate is from the Latin word compēnsātus (past participle of compēnsāre to counterbalance, originally, to weigh together). See com-, pensive, -ate 1
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
