compensate

verb

ˈkäm-pən-ˌsāt How to pronounce compensate (audio)
Definition of compensatenext
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 Knowing the whole town by name When the job was advertised in 2022, some healthcare analysts said the bolstered salary still wasn’t enough to compensate for a solo doctor’s workload. —Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Due to these comments, Webber’s suit claimed that a gig to direct a film starring Billy Bob Thornton and Scott Eastwood was stalled and then eventually lost, and that Dash should have to compensate for that loss. —Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Activity and sales are tracked by third-party affiliate networks that ensure the right partner is compensated for each sale. —Lisa Maynard, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 College football’s overhauled landscape, in which players are compensated and enjoy de facto free agency, has prompted most Football Bowl Subdivision programs to reimagine their staffs in the form of NFL front offices (complete with general managers). —Joey Knight, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compensate
  1. reimburse
  2. pay
  3. satisfy
  4. repay
Verb
  • All parties have reimbursed the man for their shares of the expenses.
    — Ashley Vega, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
  • On February 11, three days after Wright’s home burned to the ground, the governor issued an order to reimburse childcare workers for 30 days.
    — Christine Ro, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of reimburse
Verb
  • At its heart, the trial was about whether college athletes and former college athletes should be paid more than nothing for use of their NIL in video games and other products.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Students have very real fears about paying for college Just to be clear, the Education Department still exists, and cannot be closed without an act of Congress.
    — Anna North, Vox, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • That explanation has failed to satisfy Democrats who say that plans for imminent military strikes are regularly classified.
    — David Klepper, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • One of the requirements to satisfy the banks into loaning Arsenal the money was a commitment for Wenger to stay for five years.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of satisfy
Verb
  • The feds said trial evidence would have proven how Adams partly repaid the bribes by forcing former FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro to disregard safety concerns by prematurely opening a skyscraper in Midtown housing Turkey’s consulate in time for a visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
    — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • When asked if Rambo ever provided a reason for not repaying her, Patel said no.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of repay

Phrases Containing compensate

Browse Nearby Words

compends
compensate
compensated
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Cite this Entry

“Compensate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compensate. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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