Spanish Conversation · Level 36
75 words
Spanish word
compensar
Pronunciation
IPA/kompenˈsaɾ/
Meaning
- verbcompensate
Example
La empresa compensó a los clientes por el retraso.
The company compensated the customers for the delay.
More examples
El seguro compensó a la familia por los gastos médicos.
The insurance compensated the family for the medical expenses.
Core concept
A gain put on one side of a scale to cancel a loss on the other.
Common phrases
compensar a alguien
compensate someone
compensar por el daño
compensate for the damage
compensar las pérdidas
compensate for losses
Similar words
reembolsar: Returns money to a person who paid expenses on behalf of another.
indemnizar: Provides formal monetary compensation for a legally recognized loss.
cubrir: Covers a cost by shouldering the payment oneself.
abonar: Credits or pays an amount to settle a bill or outstanding charge.
Definition in Spanish
Neutralizar o contrarrestar algo, de modo que una cosa compense a otra.
Word origin
Borrowed from Latin compēnsāre (com- + pēnsāre 'to weigh'), literally 'to weigh together', which developed the sense 'to make one thing offset another'.
Usage tips
- For legal or formal financial restitution Spanish often uses indemnizar, while compensar commonly describes offsetting or making up for something in everyday use.
Other meanings
- make up forverb
Opposites
- perjudicarharmverb
Related words
- compensacióncompensationnoun
- compensatoriocompensatoryadjective
- compensablecompensableadjective