Recompense
/ˈrɛkəmˌpɛns/noun
To repay or reward someone for something, especially for loss, service, or injury.
Did you know?The word came into English through Old French from Latin roots meaning “weigh together,” so its deepest history is about measured exchange, not random kindness.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
compensare
“to weigh together; to counterbalance”
Old French
Old French
recompense
“reward, repayment, compensation”
Middle English
English
recompensen
“to repay, reward, or make amends”
Modern English
English
recompense
“repayment or reward for loss, labor, or injury”