wettgemacht

Wettgemacht is the past participle and an adjective form of the German verb wettmachen. It denotes the act of compensating or making up for a shortfall, balancing a difference, or settling a debt or loss. The sense of the word centers on restoring parity after a deficit or negative outcome, rather than simply repeating an action.

Etymology and usage contexts

The word combines Wette (bet) with machen (to make). Historically, wettmachen referred to settling a bet, but its usage broadened to mean making good losses, differences, or disadvantages in various domains, including finance, business, sports, and everyday language. It can describe both concrete settlements and more abstract compensations.

Practical usage

Wettgemacht is used predicatively: Die Verluste wurden durch den Gewinn wettgemacht. It can also appear with a direct object indicating what was made up: Das Preisgefälle konnte durch den Rabatt wettgemacht werden. In finance or economics it often conveys restoring balance after negative results; in sports it may describe overcoming a setback with a favorable outcome. It is similar in meaning to ausgleichen, kompensieren, or wieder gutmachen, though with a nuance of balancing a previous deficit.

Synonyms and nuance

Common synonyms include ausgleichen, kompensieren, wieder gutmachen, and balancieren. Wettmachen implies a deliberate corrective action that brings a situation back to parity, rather than passive recovery.

See also

Wette, ausgleichen, kompensieren. The term should not be confused with wagering-related phrases that focus strictly on bets; wettmachen generally indicates compensation or correction across broader contexts.