compensate for (something)
1. To offset (or attempt to offset) something. His sudden honesty cannot compensate for all the lies he told me over the past year. Nearly 200 employees were laid off as the company tried to compensate for another year of low sales. We may be able to compensate for lost time by taking a few back routes and avoiding traffic.
2. To reimburse someone for something. In this usage, the recipient is named between "compensate" and "for." If you take the job, we will compensate you for all of your relocation expenses. After I submitted my claim, my insurance company compensated me for that big charge I had to pay out of pocket. Definitely submit your travel expenses because the company will compensate you for them.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
compensate someone for something
to pay someone [back] money for something. Don't worry. I will compensate you for your loss. Let us compensate you for your expenses.
compensate for something
to counterbalance or counteract something; to make up for something. Your present kindness will not compensate for your previous rudeness.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.