Dictionary

compensate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /ˈkɒm.pɛn.seɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkɔm.penˌsæɪt/ (Australia)
• /ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈkɔ̟m.penˌsæɪt] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈkɑm.pənˌseɪt/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• (California) audio

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.

Meanings

1. To do (something good) after (something bad) happens.
2. To pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration.
   • It is hard work, but they will compensate you well for it.
3. (ambitransitive) To make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct, satisfy; to reach an agreement such that the scales are literally or (metaphorically) balanced; to equalize or make even.
   • The length of the night and the dews thereof do compensate the heat of the day. 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
   • His loud voice cannot compensate for a lack of personality.
   • To compensate me for his tree landing on my shed, my neighbor paved my driveway.
   • , Preface The pleasures of life do not compensate the miseries.
4. To adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation.
   • To compensate for his broken leg, Gary uses crutches.
   • I hate that old car because it steers a little to the left and I'm always compensating for that when I drive it.

Forms

Deriveds

undercompensate · malcompensate · decompensate · overcompensate · miscompensate · compensatable · compensator · recompensate · precompensate

Hyponyms

reimburse · atone · offset

Relateds

compensable · compensably · compensation · recompense · compensatory

Synonyms

accommodate · recompense · make up · remedy · square · restore · amend · remunerate · restitute and restitution · compense · redeem · compensate · redress · reconcile · adapt · accustom · make up · atone · equate · acclimatize (to adjust to a change) · expiate · dispense · guerdon (to pay) · acclimate · appease · indemnify · level · offset · make good · atone (to make up for) · reimburse · rectify · harmonize · requite · resolve · accord

Translations (106)

sh nadòmjestiti (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · es compensar (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · fo viga upp ímóti (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · pl skompensować (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · eo konservi (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · gd dìol (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · la compensō (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · gd dìol (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · tr hakkını vermek (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ru сбалансировать (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · ru заплатить (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ca compensar (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · la compensō (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · fo gera gott aftur (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · de wiedergutmachen (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · no kompensere (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de eine Kompensation zahlen (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · pt pagar (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ru компенси́ровать (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · de ausgleichen (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · ja 補填する (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · pl kompensować (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · ro compensa (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ota تعویض ایتمك (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · fi korvata (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · sh nadòknaditi (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · pt recompensar (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · pt recompensar (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de vergüten (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · pt compensar (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · it compensare (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ru возмеща́ть (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · hu utánaszabályoz (to adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation) · es compensar (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · hu ellensúlyoz (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · de ausbügeln (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · pl zrekompensować (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ru расплачиваться (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de kompensieren (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · pl równoważyć (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · de entgelten (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de etwas dagegensetzen (to adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation) · bg компенсирам (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · bg компенсирам (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · fi hyvittää (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de kompensieren (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · hu kiegyenlít (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · tr telafi etmek (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · es compensar (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · fo viga upp ímóti (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · sh nadòknaditi (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · pl rekompensować (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ru компенси́ровать (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · pl wyrównywać (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · pt compensar (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · no kompensere (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · cmn 弥补 (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · ru скомпенси́ровать (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · es compensar (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · ga cúitigh (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · la compensō (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · nl goedmaken (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · cmn 报酬 (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · hu kárpótol (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · it compensare (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · pl wyrównać (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · ca compensar (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · it bilanciare (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · es compensar (to adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation) · bg обезщетявам (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de ausgleichen (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · hu ellentételez (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · sh kompenzírati (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · sh kompenzírati (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · he תִּגְמֵל (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · hu pótol (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · ru возмеща́ть (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · tr zararını karşılamak (indemnify) (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · hu ellensúlyoz (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · hu kártalanít (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ru уравновешивать (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · hu kompenzál (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · sh nadòmjestiti (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de ausgleichen (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · nl compenseren (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · ca compensar (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · de ausgleichen (to adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation) · de wettmachen (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · ga cúitigh (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · ja 補填する (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · hu kompenzál (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · hu kiegyensúlyoz (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · hu kompenzál (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · fi kompensoida (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · la tueor (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · fo bøta aftur (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · de aufwiegen (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · hu kompenzál (to adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation) · bg балансирам (to balance the scales, to equalize, to reach equilibrium) · ru возмести́ть (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · he פִּצָּה (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · ru возмести́ть (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · fo útjavna (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill) · pl zrównoważyć (to do (something good) after (something bad) happens) · az qarşılamaq (to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration) · fr compenser (to make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct or fill)