compensatory damages

noun

: money awarded to a victim to make up for an injury, damage, etc.
The patient sued for compensatory damages.

Examples of compensatory damages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The jury on Tuesday, Aug. 12 awarded more than $33 million in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages of $10 million against Busacca and $15 million against Kolodziej, MacMaster attorney Josh Blanchard said. Paul Egan, Freep.com, 12 Aug. 2025 The suit seeks compensatory damages, attorney’s fees and expenses, and an order from the court requiring officers to receive training on how to handle dogs. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025 He was ordered to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages, and may be assigned additional punitive damages during the next phase of the trial, which resulted from a suit brought over four years ago. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025 The jury awarded $200 million in punitive damages and $43 million in compensatory damages for a grand total of $243 million. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensatory damages

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Cite this Entry

“Compensatory damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compensatory%20damages. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Legal Definition

compensatory damages

noun
: actual damages at damage 2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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