Compensate
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /ˈkɒmpənseɪt/
- US
Origin
From Latin compensatus, past participle of compensare ("to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good, later also shorten, spare"), from com- ("together") + pensare ("to weight").
Full definition of compensate
Verb
- To pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration.It is hard work, but they will compensate you well for it.
- (ambitransitive) To make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct, satisfy; to reach an agreement such that the scales are literally or (metaphorically) balanced; to equalize or make even.His loud voice cannot compensate for a lack of personality.To compensate me for his tree landing on my shed, my neighbor paved my driveway.
- Francis BaconThe length of the night and the dews thereof do compensate the heat of the day.
- PriorThe pleasures of life do not compensate the miseries.
- To adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation.I don't like driving that old car because it always steers a little to the left so I'm forever compensating for that when I drive it. Trust me, it gets annoying real fast.To compensate for his broken leg, Gary uses crutches.