Making up for something lost or inadequate; or providing payment to counterbalance a loss or injury.
From Latin 'compensare' (to weigh together, balance), combining 'com-' (together) and 'pensare' (to weigh). The '-ing' suffix makes it a gerund or present participle.
When people compensate psychologically, they often over-correct—someone insecure about height might become hypermasculine, a phenomenon Adler called 'compensation complex' and linked it to personality formation.
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