comp

1 of 4

noun

: a complimentary ticket
broadly : something provided free of charge

comp

2 of 4

verb (1)

comped; comping; comps

transitive verb

: to provide (someone) with something free
a hotel comping celebrities for their rooms
Tim had turned to greet a fellow in a tweedy sport coat, and I saw him signal the bartender to comp the guy to a drink.Sue Grafton
also : to provide (something) free of charge
Opening night, there was enough of an overflow, and enough angry people left in the hallways, that management started to comp hotel rooms to soothe the frazzled. Ben Fong-Torres

comp

3 of 4

verb (2)

ˈkəmp How to pronounce comp (audio)
ˈkämp
comped; comping; comps

intransitive verb

: to punctuate and support a jazz solo with irregularly spaced chords

comp

4 of 4

abbreviation

Examples of comp in a Sentence

Noun this hotel offers its guests more comps, including a free bottle of champagne, than most in its class
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
However, upon closer examination, Starbucks saw comps turn positive in September, and that momentum has continued into October. Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025 Sales grew 9 percent and Shrivastava said the stronger performance wasn’t just down to comps. Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Sharp ultimately had to comp just the one meal Monday before realizing that one Toast terminal at the restaurant could store the transactions. Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025 But Russell could also be dryly self-aware: on a trip to Jamaica, some of the girls sneaked into the nude resort Hedonism, where a maître d’ who recognized Russell offered to comp them for the buffet. Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for comp

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for complimentary

Verb (2)

short for accompany

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1961, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of comp was in 1887

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Comp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comp. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

comp

abbreviation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!