recompense

See also: récompense, récompensé, and recompensé

English

Etymology

From Middle English, a borrowing from Old French recompense, from Late Latin recompensare, from Latin re- (“again”) + compensare (“to balance out”)

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛkəmˈpɛns/
• Rhymes: -ɛns

Noun

recompense (plural recompenses)

1. An equivalent returned for anything given, done, or suffered; compensation; reward; amends; requital.
2. That 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 as recompense was an apology.

Synonyms

• meed
• payback
• restitution

Related terms

• compensate
• recompensate

Translations

that which compensates for a harm done

• Arabic: مُكَافَأََة‏‎ f (mukāfaʾaa), بَدَل‏‎ m (badal)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: korvaus (fi), vahingonkorvaus
• French: récompense (fr) f
• German: Entschädigung (de) f
• Icelandic: bætur f pl, þóknun f

• Norwegian: erstatning, vederlag
• Portuguese: compensação (pt) f
• Russian: компенса́ция (ru) f (kompensácija), возмеще́ние (ru) n (vozmeščénije) (убы́тков, поте́рь, etc.)
• Scottish Gaelic: ath-dhìoladh m
• Spanish: recompensa (es) f
• Turkish: mukafat, ödül (tr), bedel (tr)
• Yiddish: גוטמאַכונג‏‎ f (gutmakhung), ווידערגוטמאַכונג‏‎ f (vidergutmakhung)

Verb

recompense (third-person singular simple present recompenses, present participle recompensing, simple past and past participle recompensed)

1. To reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.ii:

     She in regard thereof him recompenst / With golden words, and goodly countenance, / And such fond fauours sparingly dispenst […]

   • Shakespeare

     He cannot recompense me better.

2. 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.

3. (transitive) To give (something) in return; to pay back; to pay, as something earned or deserved.
   • Bible, Rom. xii. 17

     Recompense to no man evil for evil.

Translations

to reward or repay (someone) for something done, given etc.

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: korvata (fi)

• Portuguese: recompensar (pt)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: recompensar (es)

to give compensation

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: korvata (fi)
• French: récompenser (fr)
• German: entschädigen (de)
• Icelandic: launa, borga bætur

• Ido: rekompensar (io)
• Norwegian: erstatte, gjengjelde
• Portuguese: compensar (pt)
• Russian: компенси́ровать (ru) impf (kompensírovatʹ), возмеща́ть (ru) impf (vozmeščátʹ), возмести́ть (ru) pf (vozmestítʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dìol
• Spanish: compensar (es)

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Old French

Etymology

From recompenser.

Noun

recompense f (oblique plural recompenses, nominative singular recompense, nominative plural recompenses)

1. recompense; compensation

Descendants

• English: recompense

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌʁe.kõ.ˈpẽ.si/

Verb

recompense

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of recompensar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of recompensar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of recompensar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of recompensar

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Spanish

Verb

recompense

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of recompensar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of recompensar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of recompensar.