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compensate

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To compensate is to pay someone for services performed, to repay someone for some wrong or that something positive exists to make up for something negative.

(verb)

An example of compensate is when you pay the guy who mowed your lawn.
An example of compensate is when you make your wife angry and you compensate for your bad behavior by doing something very nice.
An example of compensate is when you injure someone in a car accident and you pay their medical bills.
An example of compensate is beautiful scenery on high priced lots.

See compensate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb compensated, compensating

Now Rare to make up for; be a counterbalance to in weight, force, etc.
to make equivalent or suitable return to; recompense; pay: to compensate an owner for land taken by a city
Mech. to counteract or make allowance for (a variation)

Origin: < L compensatus, pp. of compensare, to weigh one thing against another < com-, with + pensare, freq. of pendere, to weigh: see pendant

intransitive verb

to make or serve as compensation or amends (for)
Psychol. to engage in compensation

Related Forms:

compensative adjective
compensatory adjective

See compensate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb com·pen·sat·ed, com·pen·sat·ing, com·pen·sates

verb, transitive

To offset; counterbalance.
To make satisfactory payment or reparation to; recompense or reimburse: Management compensated us for the time we worked.
To stabilize the purchasing power of (a monetary unit) by changing the gold content in order to counterbalance price variations.

verb, intransitive

To serve as or provide a substitute or counterbalance.

Origin:

Origin: Latin compēnsāre, compēnsāt-

Origin: : com-, com-

Origin: + pēnsāre, to weigh; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: