What does recompense mean?
Recompense is a formal word for compensation, meaning either a payment or reward for a loss, effort, inconvenience, or service, or the act of providing it. It is often used in legal, institutional, and historical settings, as in “in recompense for,” and tends to suggest a deliberate act of making amends or recognizing someone’s contribution. As a verb, recompense usually means to compensate a person who has suffered a loss or performed a service: the organization recompensed the volunteers for their travel expenses. As a noun, it refers to the compensation itself. The word can describe money, but it is not limited to payment; a formal acknowledgment, gift, or other benefit may also serve as recompense. Compared with everyday “payment” or “compensation,” recompense often carries a more deliberate and ceremonious tone.
To pay, reimburse, or otherwise compensate someone for a loss, effort, inconvenience, or service.
"The government recompensed the farmers for the damage caused by the storm."
Formal; commonly used in legal, institutional, or historical contexts.
A payment, reward, or other form of compensation given for a loss, effort, inconvenience, or service.
"The workers received a small recompense for their additional duties."
Often used with “in recompense for” and in formal or historical writing.
The plural is used when referring to separate payments or rewards, as in “the court ordered several recompenses to be paid.”
"The victims received separate recompenses for the damage to their property."
The prefix re- in recompense reflects the original idea of weighing one thing against another: “re-” again, plus a Latin root associated with weighing or balancing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recompense come from?
Recompense comes through Old French from the Latin verb recompensare. The Latin prefix re- meant “again,” while compensare was related to compensare, “to weigh” or “to weigh against,” a sense reflected in the idea of balancing one thing against another. English “compensate” and “compensation” descend from the same Latin root, while the word “recompense” developed with the additional meaning of paying back or making amends.
Related word forms
How recompense is actually used
Recompense is somewhat formal and is often used in legal, institutional, or historical contexts. As a verb, it normally takes the person compensated as its object, as in “recompense the workers.” As a noun, it commonly follows “in recompense for.”
Easily confused with recompense
Recompense is the standard term for a payment or reward, while compensation more commonly emphasizes making good a loss or providing a remedy.