compensation

[ kom-puhn-sey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or state of compensating, as by rewarding someone for service or by making up for someone's loss, damage, or injury by giving the injured party an appropriate benefit.
2. the state of being compensated or rewarded in this way.
3. something given or received as an equivalent for services, debt, loss, injury, suffering, lack, etc.; indemnity:

   The insurance company paid him $2000 as compensation for the loss of his car.

   Synonyms: indemnification, satisfaction, requital, reparation, amends, payment, recompense

4. Biology. the improvement of any defect by the excessive development or action of another structure or organ of the same structure.
5. Psychology. a mechanism by which an individual attempts to make up for some real or imagined deficiency of personality or behavior by developing or stressing another aspect of the personality or by substituting a different form of behavior.

compensation

/ ˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of making amends for something
2. something given as reparation for loss, injury, etc; indemnity
3. the automatic movements made by the body to maintain balance
4. the attempt to conceal or offset one's shortcomings by the exaggerated exhibition of qualities regarded as desirable
5. biology abnormal growth and increase in size in one organ in response to the removal or inactivation of another

Derived Forms

• ˌcompenˈsational, adjective

Other Words From

• compen·sation·al adjective
• noncom·pen·sation noun
• precom·pen·sation noun
• procom·pen·sation adjective
• subcom·pen·sation noun
• subcom·pen·sation·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compensation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English compensacioun, from Latin compēnsātiōn-, stem of compēnsātiō “a balancing”; equivalent to compensate + -ion

Example Sentences

The Harrods compensation scheme is only open to people who worked for the company.

From BBC

It will now pay both the credit and millions in compensation to the customers affected between February 2021 and September 2023.

From BBC

Earlier this year, Paul announced a partial compensation scheme for disappointed investors.

From BBC

Research by the BBC also suggests some owners may have been offered more in compensation than their knives cost.

From BBC

IHG, the owner of the Holiday Inn brand, declined to comment when approached about riot compensation but has previously said its priority was "the safety and security of our guests and colleagues".

From BBC

Related Words

• allowance
• benefit
• bonus
• coverage
• earnings
• fee
• indemnity
• pay
• payment
• payoff
• premium
• profit
• redress
• reimbursement
• remittance
• remuneration
• reparation
• restitution
• reward
• salary