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
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The jury in the civil case awarded Vaccaro $500,000 in compensatory damages, but she was not awarded punitive damages. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 The jury awarded Vaccaro $500,000 in compensatory damages but did not award her punitive damages. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages that will be determined at trial. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages and punitive damages. — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for compensatory damages

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Cite this Entry

“Compensatory damages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compensatory%20damages. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Legal Definition

compensatory damages

noun
: actual damages at damage 2
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