compensate 1 of 2

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

Relevance
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

compensate (for)

2 of 2

verb (2)

as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective a mafioso thinking that he can compensate for the evil he's done by giving to charity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Verb
Bartolotta earned his negotiator’s stripes deep in the jungles of Thailand, compensating relatives of victims of friendly fire. News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025 Soon the car dealers and their office staff started arriving, and the DJ adjusted his volume to compensate for the rising level of conversation. Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025 Co-existence and compensation Environmental groups, including the California Wolf Center and Defenders of Wildlife, support efforts to compensate ranchers for their losses, and acknowledge the stress that residents are experiencing in rural areas where wolves have settled. Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025 Men need to compensate through making women project Ultimate Femininity! Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensate

Cite this Entry

“Compensate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compensate. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on compensate

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!