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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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 The lawsuit makes no specific monetary demand but asks that a jury require Tesla to remunerate alleged victims for the conduct they were subjected to and pay other damages, as appropriate. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 28 Sep. 2023 See All Example Sentences for remunerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remunerate
Verb
  • If your core isn’t doing its job, other muscles have to try and compensate.
    Danielle Zickl, SELF, 24 Apr. 2025
  • There have been long periods of suffering experienced by some that all the gold of the country could not compensate for.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Of the $16,000, Burns reimbursed the school for more than $7,000 and provided documentation for the rest after school officials met with Burns in late January about the audit’s findings.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The plans, which are privately run but reimbursed with taxpayer money, will see payments increase by 5.1 percent under a final Trump administration rule, for a total increase of about $30 billion.
    Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In the next bracket up, 24%, most couples are also paying a 3.8% investment tax, for a combined federal rate of 27.8%.
    William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Lionel Messi, who met the pope in 2013, paid tribute to on the social network X, posting a picture of the pope accepting an olive tree from him.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The rest of the £637m refinancing was a £112m loan from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA), of which £50m has since been repaid.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The quickest, but hardest, is to repay the loans in full.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remunerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remunerate. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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