pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.
paid their bills
compensate implies a making up for services rendered.
an attorney well compensated for her services
remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.
promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely
satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.
all creditors will be satisfied in full
reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.
reimbursed employees for expenses
indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.
indemnified the families of the dead miners
repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.
repay a favor with a favor
recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.
passengers were recompensed for the delay
Example Sentences
Noun He has been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation. Each pay period begins on the first of the month. Workers received a $4,000 pay increase. I took a significant pay cut when I took this job, but I think it was worth it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
If a bowl of cereal topped with fruit is part of your morning routine, expect to pay more for it. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 13 Sep. 2022 Private and religious schools in New York charge tuition but are budgeted to receive more than $650 million from the state this year to pay for textbooks, transportation and programs that serve students with disabilities. Jimmy Vielkind, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 The Chiefs reached a confidential settlement with Ariel’s family last year to pay for her ongoing medical treatment and other expenses. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 13 Sep. 2022 Poor’s company is currently working on smaller agrivoltaics projects with partners willing to pay for the cost of materials, hoping to eventually ramp up to more expansive production as data rolls in. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Sep. 2022 Jimmy Amisial started a GoFundMe fundraiser in July to raise $60,000 to pay for the costly adoption, but has received over $167,000. Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Sep. 2022 All offered to pay for information, sometimes noting that the compensation would be high or apparently unrestricted. Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2022 Other promoters debuting or returning to L.A. after a few years away acknowledge that the pandemic was apocalyptic for live music and, post-comeback, no one quite knows what fans are willing to pay for.Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 Altman would charge a dime for his new, larger frankfurters, a sum that many thought was an absurd amount to pay for a hot dog. Adam Reiner, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2022
Noun
Stella Dennig and Finn Stern opened their restaurant with an equal tip pool based on a 20% service fee, significantly higher-than-average pay starting at $25 per hour, and healthcare benefits, funded by raising menu prices by 5% across the board. Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 14 Sep. 2022 Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is running against Kemp again after losing narrowly to him in 2018, has proposed boosting average teacher pay over four years to $75,000, and guaranteeing a starting salary of $50,000. Jeff Amy, ajc, 12 Sep. 2022 New findings from the Center for Generational Kinetics reveal the youngest cohort of workers prioritizes pay, scheduling flexibility, and benefits. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2022 The union has been in negotiations with university administration since June but expected to reach discussions on larger issues of pay, workload and parental leave during negotiations Friday. Jessie Molloy, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022 The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNEWS and early prelims on ESPN+. Nolan King, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2022 In 2021, for the first time in decades, the gender pay gap actually increased in Britain. Laura Beers, CNN, 7 Sep. 2022 Seattle Public Schools canceled Wednesday's first day of school after teachers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike over issues that include pay, mental health support, and staffing ratios for special education and multilingual students.CBS News, 7 Sep. 2022 Your lack of enthusiasm could be blamed on low pay, no workplace flexibility, skimpy benefits, too many unmotivated co-workers, bad management — any of a myriad of reasons. Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2022
Adjective
The hope is that CNN+ will serve as a gateway to a post-pay TV world, connecting the brand’s familiar red and white letters to a generation of viewers who are growing up without cable. Stephen Battaglio Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2022 The drug is so expensive at the wholesale level that private insurers place it in the highest co-pay categories; some won’t allow doctors to prescribe it without their prior approval, further narrowing patients’ access. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2022 More than 775 people have already signed up for the company's pre-pay membership, Precompose. Eileen Finan, PEOPLE.com, 17 June 2021 Or an expansion of co-pay coupons to Medicare, where they’re now banned? Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 16 Oct. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1), Noun, and Adjective
Middle English, from Anglo-French paier, from Latin pacare to pacify, from pac-, pax peace
Verb (2)
obsolete French peier, from Latin picare, from pic-, pix pitch — more at pitch