compensatory damages

noun

: money awarded to a victim to make up for an injury, damage, etc.
The patient sued for compensatory damages.

Examples of compensatory damages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tesla's payout is based on $129 million in compensatory damages, and $200 million in punitive damages against the company. Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2025 The jury awarded the plaintiffs $129 million in compensatory damages, and a further $200 million in punitive damages. Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025 The compensatory damages should be tax free, but not the punitive damages or interest. Robert W. Wood, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 After only a few hours of deliberation, the jury ruled in Hogan’s favor, awarding him $115 million in compensatory damages and an additional $25 million in punitive damages, for a total of $140 million. Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for compensatory damages

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Compensatory damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compensatory%20damages. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

Legal Definition

compensatory damages

noun
: actual damages at damage 2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!