Recompensation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of making restitution for losses or damages incurred through financial or equivalent support
2. An action taken to restore balance by providing payment or restitution for harm suffered by an individual
3. The act of providing payment or restitution to offset loss or harm experienced by someone

Etymology: "Recompensation" is formed by adding the suffix "-ation" to "recompense," which itself came into English from Old French "recompenser," meaning to repay or reward. The "re-" in "recompense" points back to that original sense of making something good again, while "compensation" supplies the same idea of balancing a loss with something of equal value. In effect, "recompensation" is a near-doubled version of "compensation," with the prefix and the suffix each carrying part of the meaning. Because "recompensation" is a straightforward combination of familiar parts, its history is essentially that of "recompense" plus the common noun-forming ending. Its use as a noun meaning payment for loss follows naturally from the sense of "recompense" as a return or reward for something given up or suffered.

Synonyms: compensation, reimbursement, repayment, remuneration, reward

Antonyms: loss, forfeiture, penalty, deduction, disadvantage