compensate against

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "compensate against" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to mean counteract or counteract a negative situation with a positive action. For example, "The extra effort he put in to his studies compensated against his poor grades on previous exams."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Rodgers is nimble enough to compensate against all but the most determined pass rushes.

The New York Times - Sports

The combination of protein flexibility, resource efficiency, genomic plasticity and synergistic adaptation likely compensate against osmotic and cold stresses.

Nature

Finally we reveal the presence of a possible trade-off in the definition of the local descriptor fuzzy term, and the necessity of another factor to compensate against the size of the considered neighborhood.

Pattern Recognition Letters

My experience with a big dominant company like that is that it buys back a lot of its own stock in the market to compensate against employees' exercising of options.

Forbes

Our study provides evidence that the endo-siRNA pathway, previously thought to be non-essential during development, is essential to compensate against temperature fluctuations, specifically by regulating the cell cycle in the developing Drosophila embryo under environmental perturbations.

Plosone

High urate at baseline may compensate against the oxidative stress caused by LC.

Free Radical Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Pamela S. Falk, a professor at the City University of New York who has no connection to the suit, said, "The court will have to weigh a strong and sympathetic case by the victims that they have not been fairly compensated against a longstanding tradition in U.S. law to give deference to government administrators".

The New York Times

The combination of increased flexibility and stability of proteins and uniquely adapted cell envelope compensates against the ordering/disordering effects of a cold and solute-rich environment, while effective osmolyte uptake balances the osmotic pressure exerted over the cell envelope creating a solute-rich cytoplasm capable of remaining liquid at −15 °C.

Nature

Therefore, in order to keep the activity of an N-component gene network compensated against parallel changes in the number of network components, a necessary condition is that the network has to be composed of components of different regulatory signs (e.g. 1 activator and N-1 inhibitors, 2 activators and N-2 inhibitors, etc).

BMC Systems Biology

Longer flowering durations in individual plants may reduce the likelihood of phenological mismatch with animal pollinators39,40,41,42,43 and may also compensate or buffer against potentially declining pollinator populations under climate change44,45.

Nature

The risk capital is essentially the probability of failure times the cost of failure with a surcharge to compensate the developer against hydrogeological and financial uncertainty, with the surcharge acting as safety loading reflecting the developers' level of risk aversion.

Journal of Environmental Management

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "compensate against", ensure that the action being compensated for is clearly identified to maintain clarity and context.

Common error

Avoid using "compensate against" in situations where there is no direct action or negative effect to counteract. This phrase is specifically for situations where one thing is used to offset another, not as a general synonym for "help" or "assist".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compensate against" functions as a verb phrase, indicating an action taken to counteract something negative. Ludwig identifies it as grammatically correct, although not as frequent as other similar expressions.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

43%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "compensate against" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe the act of counteracting a negative effect with a positive action. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, though notes its relative infrequency compared to synonyms like "offset" or "counteract". It is most commonly found in scientific and formal writing, as demonstrated by its presence in sources like Nature and The New York Times. While not as ubiquitous as some alternatives, using "compensate against" correctly demonstrates a precise understanding of its specific compensatory meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make up for

Focuses on atoning for a deficiency or error.

counteract

Focuses on neutralizing or diminishing the effects of something.

mitigate

Highlights reducing the severity or impact of something negative.

offset

Emphasizes balancing or neutralizing one thing with another.

correct for

Implies adjusting or rectifying something to achieve accuracy.

balance out

Indicates achieving equilibrium by counteracting opposing forces.

counterbalance

Emphasizes creating equilibrium or stability.

neutralize

Highlights rendering something ineffective or harmless.

negate

Suggests making something ineffective or invalid.

nullify

Implies rendering something legally void or without effect.

FAQs

How can I use "compensate against" in a sentence?

You can use "compensate against" to describe actions that counteract negative effects. For example, "The athlete's rigorous training compensated against their earlier injury."

What are some alternatives to "compensate against"?

Alternatives include "counteract", "offset", or "make up for", depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "compensate against"?

Yes, "compensate against" is grammatically correct, although it is not as commonly used as some of its alternatives. Ludwig AI confirms its validity based on examples from reliable sources.

In what contexts is "compensate against" most appropriate?

"Compensate against" is suitable in contexts where a specific action is taken to directly counteract a negative effect or deficiency. It is often found in scientific and formal writing.