compensation
/ˌkɒmpenˈseɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːmpenˈseɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkäm-pən-ˈsā-shən -ˌpen-/ (ame, mw)
compensation — noun
- compensationsingular
- compensationsplural
1. money given to someone by a person or organization to make up for harm, loss, or
money given to someone by a person or organization to make up for harm, loss, or inconvenience that was caused
The airline offered compensation to passengers whose luggage was lost during the flight.
collocation: offer compensation
The Nakamura family filed a claim for compensation after their roof was damaged by the storm.
collocation: claim compensation
The court ordered the company to pay compensation to workers injured by faulty equipment.
Victims of the data breach received financial compensation for the inconvenience and stress it caused.
- reparation
more formal, often used for large-scale or historical harms
- damages
legal term for court-awarded money for injury or loss
- restitution
formal, emphasises restoring something to its original state
文法句型
compensation + for + noun phrase
compensation + from + noun phrase
用法筆記
Uncountable — do not use an article ('a compensation'). Common in legal, insurance, and customer-service contexts. The preposition 'for' introduces the loss or harm being compensated.
常見錯誤
2. something good that reduces the unpleasantness of a difficult or unfortunate sit
something good that reduces the unpleasantness of a difficult or unfortunate situation, without involving money
The low salary was disappointing, but a friendly team was some compensation for the hard work.
pattern: be some compensation for
For Priya, the chance to travel was ample compensation for leaving her family behind.
pattern: be ample compensation for
Diego found compensation in his hobby of photography after a stressful week at the office.
The beautiful beach views offered some compensation for the lack of air conditioning in the room.
- consolation
more emotional, focuses on comforting someone who is sad or disappointed
- offset
neutral, emphasises balancing out a negative with a positive
- recompense
slightly formal, can include both financial and non-financial returns
- drawback
the negative aspect being offset
- disadvantage
a negative feature of a situation
文法句型
be + compensation + for + noun phrase
find + compensation + in + noun phrase
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense can be countable ('a small compensation') in some contexts. Common patterns: 'be some/little/ample compensation for [something]' and 'find compensation in [something].' Often describes non-financial benefits that offset drawbacks.
常見錯誤
3. the total pay, benefits, and perks that an employer provides to a worker in retu
the total pay, benefits, and perks that an employer provides to a worker in return for their services
The job advertisement listed a competitive compensation package with health insurance and a retirement plan.
collocation: compensation package
Employees at the tech company receive generous compensation, including stock options and paid parental leave.
collocation: generous compensation
Before accepting the offer, Yusuf compared the total compensation across three different companies.
Aiko negotiated a better compensation package when she was offered the managerial position.
- remuneration
more formal, often used in legal or HR writing
- pay
less formal, usually refers to base salary only
- benefits package
narrower, focuses on non-salary perks like insurance and leave
文法句型
compensation + package
compensation + for + position/role
用法筆記
In business English, compensation typically refers to the full employment package — salary plus bonuses, stock options, insurance, and other benefits — not just base pay. Common in formal job descriptions, HR documents, and employment negotiations.