Offset

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɒf.sɛt/

Definitions

1. A measure taken to counteract or mitigate the effects of something, serving as a compensation for a deviation or difference in position or measurement
2. An adjustment or shift implemented to balance a discrepancy or to place something at a distance from a reference point
3. An action or measure intended to balance out an inequality or difference ; a defined change in the position of an object from a reference location

Etymology: The word "offset" is one of those cases where the surprise lies in the older sense. Middle English "ofsetten" meant "to encumber, harass, beset, besiege," and it came from Old English "ofsettan," which meant "to press, oppress, overwhelm, crush." A word once about being weighed down by an enemy or burden ended up describing a balancing payment. The modern sense grew out of the verb "to set off," meaning to counterbalance or offset one thing against another, as in setting one account against another. The noun was built from "off-" and "set," and it came to mean compensation for a loss, the thing that cancels out or softens a debit. Its meaning, in other words, moved from crushing pressure to the counterweight placed against it.

Synonyms: counterbalance, compensate, counteract, balance, neutralize

Antonyms: aggravate, exacerbate, intensify, worsen, heighten