Word
compensate
Phoneticscom·pen·sate, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɑmpənˌseɪt/
UK/kˈɒmpənsˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to make up for a problem
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
v. to provide something good to balance out something bad or missing.
v. to counterbalance or offset a deficiency, error, or negative effect with an equivalent positive force.
“His great enthusiasm for the project helped to compensate for his lack of experience.”
“The company's high salary offerings were designed to compensate for the high cost of living in the city center.”
Synonyms
02to pay for work or loss
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
v. to pay someone money because they worked for you or because they suffered a loss.
v. to provide financial payment or other valuable consideration in exchange for services rendered or as restitution for damages.
“The airline had to compensate the passengers for the long flight delay.”
“The court ordered the firm to compensate the victims of the industrial accident for their medical expenses and lost wages.”
03to adjust for a change
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
v. to change how something works to handle a new situation or a problem.
v. to make an adjustment in a system or behavior to offset the influence of an external factor or internal failure.
“The pilot had to compensate for the strong winds while landing the plane.”
“The software automatically compensates for lens distortion to ensure the final image appears perfectly flat.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “compensate” in context.
Verb
01. adequately compensate employees
“The firm failed to adequately compensate employees for the extra hours they worked during the merger.”
adv + verb
02. compensate for the loss
“The insurance company agreed to compensate for the loss of his property after the fire.”
verb + prep + noun
03. compensate victims for damages
“The court ordered the chemical company to compensate victims for damages caused by the spill.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Preposition
04. compensate for a deficiency
“He took vitamin supplements to compensate for a deficiency in his diet.”
verb + prep + noun
Adverb
05. fully compensate for the delay
“The airline offered travel vouchers to fully compensate for the delay.”
adv + verb
06. largely compensate for the lack
“Her enthusiasm and hard work largely compensate for the lack of formal experience.”
adv + verb
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'for' when referring to balancing a deficiency. The verb is transitive when referring to payment ('compensate someone').
Pitfall
He compensated his lack of experience with hard work.
He compensated for his lack of experience with hard work.
When the verb means to offset a negative quality, it requires the preposition 'for' before the noun phrase.
Real-World Examples
“The airline’s finance chief said last month it was “way too early” to discuss whether Ryanair would have to compensate the couple while the airline awaited the outcome of an investigation into the incident.” “When landmarks were missing, this navigation system nearly stopped functioning, while another brain region appeared to step in and compensate.” “He assists in the design of a livestock enclosure that can deter the claws and ingenuity of a hungry snow leopard; and makes recommendations on schemes to compensate herders whose animals have been killed.” “Behavioural economics suggests that when people lose trust in a system, they tend to either opt out entirely or over‑compensate.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin compēnsātus, perfect passive participle of compensō (“to weight together one thing against another, balance, make good”), -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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