recompense

1 of 2

verb

rec·​om·​pense ˈre-kəm-ˌpen(t)s How to pronounce recompense (audio)
recompensed; recompensing

transitive verb

1
a
: to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred)
b
: to pay for
2
: to return in kind : requite

recompense

2 of 2

noun

: an equivalent or a return for something done, suffered, or given : compensation
offered in recompense for injuries
Choose the Right Synonym for recompense

pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something.

pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

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

satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

Examples of recompense in a Sentence

Verb the cash-strapped museum can recompense lecturers with only token honorariums that company still needs to recompense the work that the contractor finished last month Noun He is asking for a just recompense for the work he's done. He received $10,000 in recompense for his injuries.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The farmers argue that they should be recompensed by Texas under the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jan. 2024 Thurber complained to him about being asked to recompense The New Yorker for a sixty-dollar overpayment; writers got paid by the word (still do), and the accounting department had calculated that the final word count on a certain Thurber story was less than the original word count. Mary Norris, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2023 European countries like Germany and the UK have shored up money for their violent role in suppressing Namibian and Kenyan protests, but the Netherlands is the first to publicly acknowledge and recompense for slavery. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 23 Sep. 2022 That date is when the Biden administration's requirement that private insurance companies recompense those who buy over-the-counter COVID tests goes into effect. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2022 In a professional setting, a favorable recommendation for a job well done — while certainly appreciated — should not be recompensed with a present. Judith Martin, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2019
Noun
In June, the state legislature there passed a bill creating a reparations commission to study offering recompense to Black residents, much like the California panel. Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2024 Dean was convicted of manslaughter in December, but attorneys also sought recompense for Zion in a civil suit. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023 The slipping away of time, a phrase, a gesture, the way a child glides across a lawn or a man with fewer years ahead than behind finds recompense. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023 The goal was to study proposals for how California can offer recompense for harms perpetuated against descendants of enslaved people, according to the bill. Sophie Austin, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2023 It’s become our symbolic recompense to poor people: Prove your resilience and let praise and pennies substitute for economic reform. Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023 Marvel Studios movies alone have grossed almost $30 billion worldwide, yet the writers and artists behind their stories and characters have mostly seen little in recompense. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 July 2023 The pandemic portions of the book conjure an adult world of trade-offs and compromise, in which family offers abundant recompense for lacklustre Google search results. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023 Judge Caroline Wall on Friday dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit trying to force the city and others to make recompense for the destruction of the once-thriving Black district known as Greenwood. Time, 9 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recompense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French recompenser, from Late Latin recompensare, from Latin re- + compensare to compensate

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recompense was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near recompense

Cite this Entry

“Recompense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recompense. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recompense

verb
rec·​om·​pense
ˈrek-əm-ˌpen(t)s
recompensed; recompensing
: to pay for or pay back
recompense noun

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