as in damages
payment to another for a loss or injury
the government instituted a program of reparations to the descendants of Native Americans who were driven from their land
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Recent Examples of reparations
Presidential candidates fielded questions about reparations, or cash payments to make amends.
—
Ara Rosenthal, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Set in the small town of Kharkams, in South Africa’s mountainous Kamiesberg region, the film follows an elderly goat herder, Hettie, who falls victim to a scam promising long-overdue reparations for her father’s WWII service.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Cincinnati's vice mayor has proposed reparations for policies that kept many Black people from owning property.
—Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2026
The company, Whakaari Management Limited, was found guilty on a health and safety charge, with a judge ordering it to pay millions of dollars in reparations and fines.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Even so, Newsom couldn’t help but veer left on racial politics, getting himself into hot water for stoking talk of slavery reparations in California, then having to spin his way out of it by saying reparations are about more than just dollars and cents when some monetary estimates came up.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Sticking points include claims over territory, reparations and security guarantees.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Caring for the dead and the living President Ronald Reagan in 1988 signed a law that issued a formal apology and authorized reparations to Japanese American incarceration survivors.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Newman’s work has been welcomed by reformers and those who have been arguing, for years, in favor of British reparations to societies that have borne the legacy of its slaving activities.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Ara Rosenthal, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Set in the small town of Kharkams, in South Africa’s mountainous Kamiesberg region, the film follows an elderly goat herder, Hettie, who falls victim to a scam promising long-overdue reparations for her father’s WWII service.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Cincinnati's vice mayor has proposed reparations for policies that kept many Black people from owning property.
—Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2026
The company, Whakaari Management Limited, was found guilty on a health and safety charge, with a judge ordering it to pay millions of dollars in reparations and fines.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Even so, Newsom couldn’t help but veer left on racial politics, getting himself into hot water for stoking talk of slavery reparations in California, then having to spin his way out of it by saying reparations are about more than just dollars and cents when some monetary estimates came up.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Sticking points include claims over territory, reparations and security guarantees.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Caring for the dead and the living President Ronald Reagan in 1988 signed a law that issued a formal apology and authorized reparations to Japanese American incarceration survivors.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Newman’s work has been welcomed by reformers and those who have been arguing, for years, in favor of British reparations to societies that have borne the legacy of its slaving activities.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reparations
Noun
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Joel Gavalas seeks a jury trial and damages for his son's pain and suffering, and for his own loss of Jonathan's companionship.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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The company, in turn, filed a legal claim to shield it from damages under a maritime law that limits liability for vessel owners.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Being stuck in a state of fight-or-flight increases protective muscle tension, altering movement mechanics, limiting mobility, and increasing the likelihood of compensations that can lead to pain or injury.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Suns reportedly offered Royce O'Neale and second-round compensations.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reparations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reparations. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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