recompense 1 of 2

Definition of recompensenext

recompense

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to compensate
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received the cash-strapped museum can recompense lecturers with only token honorariums

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to pay
to give what is owed for that company still needs to recompense the work that the contractor finished last month

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to reimburse
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the government has yet to adequately recompense the property owners for the land taken for the new highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to repay
to make a return for the wealthy gentleman told the poor little girl she could recompense his generosity simply by enjoying her new toys

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word recompense distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of recompense are compensate, indemnify, pay, reimburse, remunerate, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

In what contexts can compensate take the place of recompense?

The words compensate and recompense are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When would indemnify be a good substitute for recompense?

The synonyms indemnify and recompense are sometimes interchangeable, but indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When might pay be a better fit than recompense?

The meanings of pay and recompense largely overlap; however, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When can reimburse be used instead of recompense?

In some situations, the words reimburse and recompense are roughly equivalent. However, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When is it sensible to use remunerate instead of recompense?

The words remunerate and recompense can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When is repay a more appropriate choice than recompense?

While the synonyms repay and recompense are close in meaning, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

Where would satisfy be a reasonable alternative to recompense?

While in some cases nearly identical to recompense, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

How is the word recompense distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of recompense are compensate, indemnify, pay, reimburse, remunerate, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

In what contexts can compensate take the place of recompense?

The words compensate and recompense are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When would indemnify be a good substitute for recompense?

The synonyms indemnify and recompense are sometimes interchangeable, but indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When might pay be a better fit than recompense?

The meanings of pay and recompense largely overlap; however, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When can reimburse be used instead of recompense?

In some situations, the words reimburse and recompense are roughly equivalent. However, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

When is it sensible to use remunerate instead of recompense?

The words remunerate and recompense can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When is repay a more appropriate choice than recompense?

While the synonyms repay and recompense are close in meaning, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

Where would satisfy be a reasonable alternative to recompense?

While in some cases nearly identical to recompense, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of recompense
Noun
Logitech has offered Pop customers a 15-percent-off coupon for Logitech products as a recompense but has limited what the coupon can be used for. Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 11 Oct. 2025 Your bread won’t have the same dark crust, but the moist crumb flavored with brown butter and maple syrup is ample recompense. The Know, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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 See All Example Sentences for recompense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recompense
Noun
  • Sanders and the 444 nonunion members under his purview also took a 6% cut in compensation.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
  • Property owners are given about three months’ notice and paid compensation at rates set by the municipality.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In addition, records show that Smedley received an advance payment of $2,625 in 2018 of his stipend as a city council member that is normally paid quarterly.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The plan would allow the charter NFL franchise to make special payments to taxing bodies in the northwest suburbs — known as Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT — rather than paying regular property taxes.
    Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In 2021, scientists at the Kea Animal Minds Lab at the University of Auckland studied Bruce and other non-disabled kea and found that Bruce exhibited unusual preening behavior to compensate for his missing upper beak.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Half of the money for wolf conflicts would go toward deterrents; the remainder would compensate ranchers for their losses.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In 2025, the department spent about thirty million dollars paying people not to work.
    Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • In fact, many retailers find themselves in a similar quandary because tariff refunds will go to whoever paid the actual customs bill.
    Alina Selyukh, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • If successful, the fee would likely be thrown out and residents reimbursed.
    Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The Cowboys could draw from the city’s account over time to be reimbursed, but the team would pay improvement costs up front to get the stadium upgraded by 2043.
    Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Still, be confident in your ability to repay the loan over the full repayment period to avoid the threat of foreclosure.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • That appropriation would be to repay bonds issued for the stadium — and failure to pay off those bonds each year would put the state at risk of defaulting and plummeting its credit rating.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Mayor Johnson launched a Chicago reparations task force in 2024.
    Aida Mogos, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Tehran’s demands included the release of frozen assets, guarantees around its nuclear program, the right to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah and war reparations.
    Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Taking time before a storm arrives to unplug the right appliances and household items can be the difference between weathering the storm safely and thousands of dollars in damages.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
  • On Tuesday a civil jury concluded that Lodes resigned involuntarily due to his reporting of a hostile workplace and was awarded the multimillion-dollar payment as compensation for his emotional damages.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Recompense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/recompense. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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