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Compensate vs Refund - What's the difference?

compensate | refund |

As verbs the difference between compensate and refund

is that compensate is to pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration while refund is to return (money) to (someone); to reimburse.

As a noun refund is

an amount of money returned.

compensate

English

Verb

(compensat)
  • To pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration.
  • It is hard work, but they will compensate you well for it.
  • (ambitransitive) To make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct, satisfy; to reach an agreement such that the scales are literally]] or ([[metaphor, metaphorically) balanced; to equalize or make even.
  • His loud voice cannot compensate for a lack of personality.
    To compensate me for his tree landing on my shed, my neighbor paved my driveway.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • The length of the night and the dews thereof do compensate the heat of the day.
  • * Prior
  • The pleasures of life do not compensate the miseries.
  • To adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation.
  • I don't like driving that old car because it always steers a little to the left so I'm forever compensating for that when I drive it. Trust me, it gets annoying real fast.
    To compensate for his broken leg, Gary uses crutches.

    Derived terms

    * compensation * compensatory * recompense * recompensate

    Synonyms

    1. To pay * guerdon * reimburse to pay back 2. To make up for, correct, satisfy, or equalize, to balance the scales, to equalize or make even.
    * equate * offset * redeem * accord * reconcile * harmonize * atone * indemnify * requite * rectify * level * resolve * * amend * expiate * redress * remedy * remunerate * appease * restitute and restitution
    3. To adjust to a change.
    * acclimatize and acclimate * accommodate * accustom * adapt * accord * counterbalance * counteract * integrate * attune

    refund

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To return (money) to (someone); to reimburse.
  • A governor, that had pillaged the people, was sentenced to refund what he had wrongfully taken. — L'Estrange.
    If you find this computer for sale anywhere at a lower price, we'll refund you the difference.
  • (obsolete) To supply again with funds.
  • to refund a railroad loan
  • (obsolete, rare) To pour back.
  • Were the humours of the eye tinctured with any colour, they would refund that colour upon the object. — Ray.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An amount of money returned.
  • If the camera is faulty, you can return it to the store where you bought it for a refund.

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms