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Related to compensating: compensating balance, compensating curve

compensate for (something)

1. To offset (or attempt to offset) something. His sudden honesty cannot compensate for all the lies he told me over the past year.
2. To reimburse someone for something. In this usage, the recipient is named between "compensate" and "for." If you take the job, we will compensate you for all of your relocation expenses.
See also: compensate

compensate for something

to counterbalance or counteract something; to make up for something. Your present kindness will not compensate for your previous rudeness.
See also: compensate

compensate someone for something

to pay someone [back] money for something. Don't worry. I will compensate you for your loss. Let us compensate you for your expenses.
See also: compensate
References in periodicals archive ?
Finally, it is essential to implement a good set of compensating controls to ensure that there is always a backup plan to address a vulnerability that may impact operations.
Competent Authority to discuss the compensating adjustment concept with our major treaty partners.
Research on measuring compensating differentials endeavors to explain observed variations in wages by means of an equation which relates worker and job characteristics to wage levels.
In some instances, a weakness or deficiency in one element may be overcome by compensating factors in the other elements.
Since the 1989 AMA survey, when 90 percent of chiefs of staff worked on a voluntary basis, the number of hospitals compensating chiefs of staff has increased to 45 percent in Michigan.