a. [f. L. compensāt-, ppl. stem of compensāre + -IVE. (Mrs. Browning has the pronunciation co·mpensa:tive.)] = COMPENSATORY.

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1633.  T. Adams, Exp. 2 Peter ii. 13. Pious frauds, compensative sins.

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1647.  M. Hudson, Divine Right Govt., II. ix. 131. Compensative Honour … to remunerate integrity.

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1820.  Hazlitt, Lect. Dram. Lit. (L.). The compensative justice of the old Drama.

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1840.  Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile, Wks. 1889, I. 10. A compensative splendour. Ibid., 84. The heavenly life and compensative rest.

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1868.  Rogers, Pol. Econ., ix. (ed. 3), 96. Whether such an increase … in the money wages … be more than compensative for the general rise in prices.

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  b.  as sb. Compensation.

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1822–30.  Lamb, Lett. to Barton (L.). This is the sorry compensative.

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  Hence Compensativeness.

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1730–6.  in Bailey (folio).

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