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

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.

The former chief seeks unspecified economic and compensatory damages. —

Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 Asserting claims for tortious interference, civil conspiracy, commercial disparagement and violations of Illinois consumer fraud laws, the Butlers sought more than $50 million in compensatory damages and over $200 million in punitive damages. —

Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 June 2026 The bill effectively imposes a limit on financial payouts by allowing compensatory damages but not punitive damages. —

ArsTechnica, 11 June 2026 After a jury awarded $176 million in compensatory damages to the Iskander family last week, further punitive damages were issued on Wednesday for defendants Rebecca Grossman and former Dodger Scott Erickson. —

Julie Sharp, CBS News, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for compensatory damages

Browse Nearby Words

compensator

compensatory damages

compensatory education

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Compensatory damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compensatory%20damages. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

Copy Citation