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Origin and history of compensable

compensable(adj.)

"capable of being compensated," 1660s, from French compensable (16c.), from compenser, from Latin compensare (see compensate). Middle English had the simple verb compense "make up for (something), counterbalance, compensate; requite; satisfy (a need)," from Latin compensus, but compensate seems to have replaced it. The Old French adjective compensable meant "to consider, ponder."

also from 1660s

Entries linking to compensable

compensate(v.)

1640s, "be equivalent;" 1650s, "to counterbalance, make up for, give a substitute of equal value to," from Latin compensatus, past participle of compensare "weigh one thing (against another)," thus, "counterbalance," (etymologically "to weigh together").

This is a compound of com "with, together" (see com-) + pensare, frequentative of pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh; pay" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin").

The meaning "to recompense, remunerate" is from 1814. The earlier verb in English was compense (late 14c.). Related: Compensated; compensating.

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