Recompense

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛkəmˌpɛns/

Definitions

1. Compensation or reward given in return for loss, harm, effort, or service rendered
2. A form of restitution provided as a payment or reward for losses, injuries, efforts, or services rendered by an individual
3. An amount given to make up for loss or effort ; to provide payment or reward as amends for injury or service

Etymology: "Recompense" carries a sense of balance: its Latin core is "compensare," meaning "to balance out," with the prefix "re-" adding the idea of doing it again, in return. A Late Latin verb, "recompensare," was built on that base, meaning to make something up to someone, and it passed into Old French as "recompenser." Middle English then borrowed both the verb and the noun, so the word arrived in English with its scales already in view: a payment is the thing that rebalances a loss. The noun came into English through Old French "recompense" or Medieval Latin "recompensa," while the verb came from Old French "recompenser." The two forms developed side by side, which is why the noun and the verb look so alike. Their shared meaning, restoring what was lost, has stayed fixed since the medieval period.

Synonyms: compensation, reward, repayment, reimbursement, reparation

Antonyms: penalty, forfeit, loss