récompense

Récompense is a French noun meaning reward or prize, often referring to something offered in recognition of an action, service, merit, or achievement. It can also denote compensation for damage or loss, or payment for information. The term is used for both monetary and non-monetary forms.

It comes from Old French recompense, ultimately from Latin recompensare, formed from re- “again/back” and compensare “to compensate,” later taking on the sense of repaying a debt, acknowledging merit or providing payment.

In everyday language, récompen­se can refer to a prize in a contest (recevoir une récompense), to compensation for services (récompense financière), or to information rewards (offre de récompense). The verb récompenser means to reward or honor someone for their actions. In legal and institutional contexts, the term often appears in phrases like récom­pense pécuniaire or récom­pense pour témoignage and may function as an incentive or indemnity, distinct from paiement or rémunération.

In psychology and social science, récompense denotes a reinforcing outcome that increases the likelihood of a behavior; in everyday culture it can also imply moral acknowledgment.

Synonyms and related terms include prime, prix, indemnité, rétribution, and rémunération. Common collocations include récom­pense financière, offrir une récompense, and récompenser quelqu’un.