overcompensation

noun

An excess amount provided in one area in an effort to overcome a perceived lack in another area.

OriginEnglish compensation ← Middle English over- ← Old English ofer- →
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Meanings

nounovercompensation (countable and uncountable, plural overcompensations)

plural overcompensations

  1. countableuncountableAn excess amount provided in one area in an effort to overcome a perceived lack in another area.
  2. countableuncountableExcessive pay or reward provided for work performed.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Englishcompensation
  8. Englishovercompensation

From over- + compensation.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

overcompensation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcompensation

MLA

“overcompensation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcompensation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overcompensation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcompensation.

Source: overcompensation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.