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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If you are injured in a car crash and collect $50,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the former is tax-free. Robert W. Wood, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025 The jury found Vintage Brand had willfully violated trademark law and awarded the school $28,000 in compensatory damages. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025 The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. CBS News, 24 June 2025 The lawsuit, filed in North Carolina in May, claims the bank violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and Jones is seeking compensatory damages. Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025 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 Jul. 2025.

Legal Definition

compensatory damages

noun
: actual damages at damage 2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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