compensate
Compensate (verb) means to pay someone money to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience. Example: “The airline compensated passengers for the cancelled flight.”
How to use compensate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo balance something out — either by paying for a loss or by adjusting to offset a weakness.
Word forms
compensated past tense, compensate plural, compensated plural, compensates singular, compensate singular, compensated singular, compensatest singular, compensatedst singular, compensateth singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The airline _____ passengers for the cancelled flight.
Etymology
From Latin compensare, "to weigh one thing against another," from com- ("together") plus pensare ("to weigh").
Synonyms
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Rhymes for compensate
See all rhymes for compensate →Frequently asked questions
What does “compensate” mean?
The word “compensate” means to pay someone money to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience. In plain terms, to balance something out — either by paying for a loss or by adjusting to offset a weakness.
How do you pronounce “compensate”?
“Compensate” is pronounced KOM-puhn-sayt (/ˈkɑm.pənˌseɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “compensate” in a sentence?
Here is “compensate” used in a sentence: “The airline compensated passengers for the cancelled flight.”
What is another word for “compensate”?
Words with a similar meaning to “compensate” include reimburse, offset, acclimate, accommodate, accustom and adapt.
What part of speech is “compensate”?
“Compensate” is a verb.
Where does the word “compensate” come from?
The word “compensate” comes from Latin. From Latin compensare, "to weigh one thing against another," from com- ("together") plus pensare ("to weigh").
Is “compensate” a common word?
“Compensate” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “compensate” have?
“Compensate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to pay someone money to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience.
What is the difference between compensate and reimburse?
Compensate broadly means to pay someone to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience, while reimburse specifically means to repay someone for money they already spent, such as expenses. Reimburse is essentially a narrower form of compensation focused on repaying a specific cost.
How is compensate used to describe fixing a weakness rather than paying money?
Compensate also means to make up for a weakness or problem by adjusting something else, such as a design compensating for a mechanical flaw, or a person compensating for poor eyesight with a better sense of hearing. This sense has nothing to do with money.
Is compensate used in both financial and non-financial contexts?
Yes, compensate covers both meanings: paying money to make up for a loss or injury, such as compensating an injured worker, and adjusting or balancing something non-monetary to offset a weakness, such as a team compensating for a weak defense with strong offense.