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compromise

/ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/noun

An agreement reached when each side gives up part of what it wants.

Example sentences

  • “After hours of talks, the neighbors reached a compromise over the fence.”
  • “The final schedule was a compromise between both departments.”

The verb has a darker second sense: to compromise security or principles is to damage them.

Featured as word of the day on August 31, 2026.

Synonyms for compromise

  • middle ground
  • trade-off
  • settlement
  • deal

On the Academic Word List. Find it in: Academic vocabulary.

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