1
as in to compensate
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received promptly remunerated the repair company for fixing the dryer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to reimburse
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the negligent landlord must remunerate those made homeless by the fire by finding new housing for them at his own expense

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word remunerate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of remunerate are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," 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 compensate be used to replace remunerate?

The synonyms compensate and remunerate are sometimes interchangeable, but compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When can indemnify be used instead of remunerate?

While in some cases nearly identical to remunerate, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When is it sensible to use pay instead of remunerate?

Although the words pay and remunerate have much in common, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When would recompense be a good substitute for remunerate?

The words recompense and remunerate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When might reimburse be a better fit than remunerate?

The words reimburse and remunerate can be used in similar contexts, but reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When is repay a more appropriate choice than remunerate?

In some situations, the words repay and remunerate are roughly equivalent. However, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

In what contexts can satisfy take the place of remunerate?

The meanings of satisfy and remunerate largely overlap; however, 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 remunerate Creators need to be consulted, give consent and be remunerated when their work is used to develop AI models. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2024 As part of an agreement to end the strike, a payment pot was set up to remunerate actors based on future viewings of their work on streaming services. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 May 2024 The majority of truly important work is not highly remunerated. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024 However, the writers who create the stories which appear on these platforms are not being adequately remunerated for their work. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 12 Sep. 2023 See All Example Sentences for remunerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remunerate
Verb
  • Developers need to build AI systems that can recognize and compensate for their own biases.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • To compensate for the decreased aroma from the tea leaves during the brewing process, magnolia leaves and olive oil are added to enhance the flavor, giving it a dose of freshness.
    Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In addition, Infiniti’s Performance Plus program simplifies the way retailers are reimbursed, reducing the number of key performance indicators from 15 to just five, according to Castro.
    Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The new version also includes a 15-day right to cure period, which means stores have that long to reimburse customers before being open to legal action.
    Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • While Prime members get free same-day grocery delivery for orders over $25, customers without a Prime membership must pay a $12.99 fee (no matter what the order size is).
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Arizona school districts spend millions monitoring students online At least 52 Arizona school districts or charter schools have paid for monitoring software in the past five years, according to GovSpend, a company that tracks government spending data.
    Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 13 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

“Remunerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remunerate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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