1
as in to reimburse
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury you'll have to compensate the neighbors for cutting down their tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to pay
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received compensate them well for their efforts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word compensate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of compensate are indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When is it sensible to use indemnify instead of compensate?

Although the words indemnify and compensate have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When can pay be used instead of compensate?

The words pay and compensate can be used in similar contexts, but pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

Where would recompense be a reasonable alternative to compensate?

In some situations, the words recompense and compensate are roughly equivalent. However, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

In what contexts can reimburse take the place of compensate?

The synonyms reimburse and compensate are sometimes interchangeable, but reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When would remunerate be a good substitute for compensate?

The words remunerate and compensate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When could repay be used to replace compensate?

While the synonyms repay and compensate are close in meaning, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

When might satisfy be a better fit than compensate?

While in some cases nearly identical to compensate, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of compensate McDonald's has also reportedly agreed to offer U.S. franchisees financial support to compensate for the upcoming price drops, per the outlet. Moná Thomas, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025 Creators are vetted, regulated, and compensated through royalties when others follow their portfolios—aligning incentives toward consistent performance rather than one-off meme stocks. Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025 The Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines was formed in 1986 as part of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which aimed to compensate the small number of children who had adverse reactions to vaccines and address growing threats of litigation over vaccine injuries. Aria Bendix, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025 Developers need to build AI systems that can recognize and compensate for their own biases. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compensate
Verb
  • Once the plan was approved, each state's department of transportation would work with companies to install chargers, and then get reimbursed by the federal government.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Depending on your coverage, these repairs may be reimbursed, Hartmann said.
    Sofia Joseph, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • For now, paid ChatGPT users can select their preferred model, offering a compromise between OpenAI's push toward newer AI models and user demands for choice.
    Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
  • On the lawn of the Nickel Plate Amphitheater behind City Hall and Art Center, Fishers will pay Blue Peak, of Michigan, $143,881 to put up a 116-by-82-foot tent that will stand for most of December.
    John Tuohy, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Those stark numbers, coupled with the closure of coal plants and stagnating renewables, had energy companies and lawmakers looking for an alternative. SMRs rose from the fray, boasting the ability to provide consistent power while also satisfying tech companies’ carbon goals.
    Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Those responses indicated that the mix of aircraft would be decidedly focused on narrowbody aircraft that could satisfy internal domestic growth.
    Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The new option is intended to replace several older programs that have allowed borrowers repay their student loans based on their income, with eventual student loan forgiveness after years in repayment.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Weeks later, the U.S. envoy to Cambodia at the time emphasized that Cambodia should repay hundreds of millions of dollars in loans from the 1970s, originally given as food aid to the Lon Nol government.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 11 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Compensate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compensate. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

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