Meanings
recompense1
plural recompenses · alternative obsolete recompence
- countableuncountableAn equivalent returned for anything given, done, or suffered; compensation; reward; amends; requital.
Synonyms: meed, payback, recompence
- countableuncountableThat which compensates for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
He offered money as recompense for the damage, but what the injured party wanted was an apology.
1 more example
O let my books be then the eloquence And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, Who plead for love and look for recompense More than that tongue that more hath more express'd.
1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 23Synonyms: amends, recompence, remuneration, restitution, satisfaction, amends, acquittal, assyth
recompense2
present singular third person recompenses · participle present recompensing · participle past recompensed · past recompensed · alternative obsolete recompence
- To reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
He cannot recompense me better.
c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]1 more example
She in regard thereof him recompenst / With golden words, and goodly countenance, / And such fond fauours sparingly dispenst […]
1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.ii - To give compensation for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
The judge ordered the defendant to recompense the plaintiff by paying $100.
- transitiveTo give (something) in return; to pay back; to pay, as something earned or deserved.
Recompense to no man evil for evil.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:17
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn equivalent returned for anything given, done, or suffered; compensation; reward; amends; requital.
nounThat which compensates for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe act of compensating for service or loss or injury
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
recompense · noun
- Medieval Latinrecompensa
- Old Frenchrecompense
- Middle Englishrecompense
- Englishrecompense
From Middle English recompense, borrowed from Old French recompense or Medieval Latin recompensa.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →recompense · verb
- Latinre-“again”
- Late Latinrecompensare
- Old Frenchrecompenser
- Middle Englishrecompensen
- Englishrecompense
From Middle English recompensen, borrowed from Old French recompenser, from Late Latin recompensare, from Latin re- (“again”) + compensare (“to balance out”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή
- ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ)that which compensates for a harm done
Arabic مُكَافَأَة, بَدَل
- مُكَافَأَة (mukāfaʔa)that which compensates for a harm done
- بَدَل (badal)that which compensates for a harm done
Bengali ক্ষতিপূরণ, বদলা
- ক্ষতিপূরণ (khotipuron)that which compensates for a harm done
- বদলা (bodola)that which compensates for a harm done
- জাযা (jaja)that which compensates for a harm done
- এনাম (enam)that which compensates for a harm done
Bulgarian обезщетение, компенсация
- обезщетение (obezštetenie)that which compensates for a harm done
- компенсация (kompensacija)that which compensates for a harm done
- възнаграждавам (văznagraždavam)to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- отплащам се (otplaštam se)to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- компенсирам (kompensiram)to give compensation
- обезщетявам (obezštetjavam)to give compensation
Chinese Mandarin 賠償 /赔偿
- 賠償 /赔偿 (péicháng)to give compensation
Czech odškodnění, náhrada
- odškodněníthat which compensates for a harm done
- náhradathat which compensates for a harm done
Esperanto rekompenci
- rekompencito reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
Finnish korvaus, vahingonkorvaus
- korvausthat which compensates for a harm done
- vahingonkorvausthat which compensates for a harm done
- korvatato reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- korvatato give compensation
French récompense, récompenser
- récompensethat which compensates for a harm done
- récompenserto give compensation
German Entschädigung, entschädigen
- Entschädigungthat which compensates for a harm done
- entschädigento give compensation
Icelandic bætur, þóknun
- bæturthat which compensates for a harm done
- þóknunthat which compensates for a harm done
- launato give compensation
- borga bæturto give compensation
Irish cúitigh, cúitigh
- cúitighto reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- cúitighto give compensation
Māori whakaea, utunga whakaea
- whakaeathat which compensates for a harm done
- utunga whakaeathat which compensates for a harm done
Norwegian erstatning, vederlag
- erstatningthat which compensates for a harm done
- vederlagthat which compensates for a harm done
- erstatteto give compensation
- gjengjeldeto give compensation
Polish rekompensata, odwdzięczyć się
- rekompensatathat which compensates for a harm done
- odwdzięczyć sięto reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- zrekompensowaćto give compensation
Portuguese compensação, recompensar
- compensaçãothat which compensates for a harm done
- recompensarto reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- compensarto give compensation
Russian компенса́ция, возмеще́ние
- компенса́ция (kompensácija)that which compensates for a harm done
- возмеще́ние (vozmeščénije)that which compensates for a harm done
- компенсировать (kompensirovatʹ)to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- возмещать (vozmeščatʹ)to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- возместить (vozmestitʹ)to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- отплатить (otplatitʹ)to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- компенси́ровать (kompensírovatʹ)to give compensation
- возмеща́ть (vozmeščátʹ)to give compensation
- возмести́ть (vozmestítʹ)to give compensation
Scottish Gaelic ath-dhìoladh, dìol
- ath-dhìoladhthat which compensates for a harm done
- dìolto give compensation
Slovak odškodnenie, náhrada
- odškodneniethat which compensates for a harm done
- náhradathat which compensates for a harm done
Spanish recompensa, recompensar
- recompensathat which compensates for a harm done
- recompensarto reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
- recompensarto give compensation
Turkish mukafat, ödül
- mukafatthat which compensates for a harm done
- ödülthat which compensates for a harm done
- bedelthat which compensates for a harm done
Yiddish גוטמאַכונג, ווידערגוטמאַכונג
- גוטמאַכונג (gutmakhung)that which compensates for a harm done
- ווידערגוטמאַכונג (vidergutmakhung)that which compensates for a harm done
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with recompense
Cite this entry
recompense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recompense
“recompense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recompense. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recompense,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recompense.
Source: recompense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.