From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcompromisecom‧pro‧mise1 /ˈkɒmprəmaɪz $ ˈkɑːm-/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]AGREE an agreement that is achieved after everyone involved accepts less than what they wanted at first, or the act of making this agreement Compromise is an inevitable part of marriage. To stop the argument they decided on a compromise.compromise with Fresh attempts at compromise with the legislature were also on the agenda.compromise between a compromise between government and opposition If moderates fail to reach a compromise, the extremists will dominate the agenda. Be prepared to make compromises.2 [countable] a solution to a problem in which two things or situations are changed slightly so that they can exist togethercompromise between a happy compromise between the needs of family and workCOLLOCATIONSverbsreach a compromiseAfter a bitter political fight, a compromise was finally reached.come to/arrive at a compromiseThe negotiations took place and they arrived at a compromise.accept/agree on a compromiseIt would be advantageous for both countries to accept a compromise.find/work out a compromiseA temporary compromise was found.seek a compromiseBoth Democrats and Republicans are seeking a compromise on the issue.make a compromiseMarriage involves being tolerant and making compromises.forge/strike a compromise formal (=make a compromise)They met again Wednesday night to try to forge a compromise.broker/negotiate a compromise formal (=find one that everyone can accept, especially with difficulty)They admitted that their efforts to negotiate a compromise had failed.lead to a compromiseNegotiations between the residents and the council led to a compromise.adjectivesa good compromiseI hope we can reach a good compromise.an acceptable/reasonable/satisfactory compromiseBy 1982 an acceptable compromise had been reached.a sensible compromiseThe strikes continued and there seemed to be no chance of a sensible compromise.an uneasy compromise (=one that people are not very happy with)The deal represented an uneasy compromise.compromise + NOUNa compromise proposalThe House of Representatives accepted a compromise proposal from the administration.a compromise dealHopes are rising for a European compromise deal.a compromise solution/agreementThe president was under increasing pressure to reach a compromise solution with his political opponents.
Examples from the Corpus
compromise• Officials hope to find a compromise between Britain and other EU members.• The defence minister, General Pavel Grachev, called for a compromise and promised that the army would stay out of the dispute.• After several hours of discussions, they managed to reach a compromise.• The centre stands for compromise between president and parliament - and compromise no longer seems a solution to their bitter war.• There is a necessary compromise which can only be arrived at in the context of a particular system.• Decisions came only after a long process of compromise.• But whether the compromise bolsters the prospects for permanent peace in Bosnia is another story.• The compromise provides aid for children and gives counties the option of providing parents with employment or other services.• Whipped by bad fortune, surrendering to the inexorable gravity of downward-sliding consequences, Edna enforced home order without compromise.make compromises• It inevitably makes compromises with this methodological ideal.• Since both were only children, perhaps neither knew how to make compromises, and there were inevitable personality conflicts.• I believed the senator was a thoughtful man whose wealth had elevated him above the need to make compromises with his convictions.• I'm willing to make compromises , but you'll have to keep your side of the bargain.• In 1181 Pope Alexander died and was succeeded by Lucius 11I, who seemed willing to make compromises with Barbarossa.• I always ended up making compromises.compromisecompromise2 ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive]AGREE to reach an agreement in which everyone involved accepts less than what they wanted at first She admitted that she was unable to compromise.compromise with His workmates demanded that he never compromise with the bosses.compromise on The new regime was prepared to compromise on the oil dispute.2 DISHONEST[transitive] to do something which is against your principles and which therefore seems dishonest or shamefulcompromise your principles/standards/integrity etc As soon as you compromise your principles you are lost.compromise yourself She had already compromised herself by accepting his invitation.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: to do something which is against your principles and which therefore seems dishonest or shamefulcompromise + NOUNcompromise your integrityThe journalist would not compromise his integrity by revealing the source for the story.compromise your principlesThe government says the plans will not compromise its environmental principles.compromise your standardsUniversities should not have to compromise their academic standards.compromise your beliefs/convictions/idealsAnti-war activists were put in prison for refusing to compromise their beliefs. THESAURUScompromise to reach an agreement with someone in which both of you accept less than you really wantThe employers will have to be ready to compromise if they want to avoid a strike.The president might be willing to compromise on defense spending.meet somebody halfway to do part of what someone wants if they do part of what you want, in order to reach an agreementIs the president ready to meet these senators halfway?The asking price is £270,000. If the sellers won’t accept £250,000, maybe they would be prepared to meet us halfway and take £260,000? make concessions if one group in a disagreement makes concessions, they let their opponents have something that they are asking for, in order to reach an agreementThe company has already made significant concessions on pay and conditions.There is a policy of making no concessions to terrorists. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
compromise• Sandra quickly compromised and accepted the new work schedule.• They compromised by alternating days on which each chose the activity.• The patient's immune system has been compromised by cancer treatments.• We need to increase profits without compromising employees' safety.• The employers will have to be ready to compromise if they want to avoid a strike.• He is very much aware of public opinion, and he knows how to compromise in the interest of the nation.• Further, he contends that Shimomura was developing sophisticated programs to help secure the Internet, not compromise it.• Any attempt to impose some sort of external watchdog that might apply a degree of accountability is rejected as compromising its secrecy.• Stalin refused to compromise on any of his demands.• The President might be willing to compromise on defense spending.• But this compromises the once-sacrosanct principle that used to shield doctor-patient communications from public view.• Critics accused the mayor of compromising too easily.compromise on• You need to be willing to compromise on the price.compromise yourself• Those in power have only to hint at something and it is done, without compromising themselves.• Perhaps she had already compromised herself beyond recall by accepting the invitation.• But more importantly, the network compromised itself repeatedly.From Longman Business Dictionarycompromisecom‧pro‧mise1 /ˈkɒmprəmaɪzˈkɑːm-/ noun [countable, uncountable] an agreement between two people or groups in which both sides agree to accept less than they first asked for and to give up something that they valueRepresentatives of each side might well come to some sort of compromise.compromisecompromise2 verb [intransitive] if two groups compromise, they each accept less than they first asked for, and each give up something that they valuecompromise onThe company has refused to compromise on a reduction in the working week.compromise withWe agreed to compromise with the union on certain things.→ See Verb tableOrigin compromise1 (1400-1500) French compromis, from Latin compromissum “joint promise”, from compromittere, from com- ( → COM-) + promittere ( → PROMISE2) 