# compromise
## English
### Etymology

From Middle French compromis, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin compromissum (“a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration”), prop. neuter of Latin compromissus, past participle of compromittere (“to make a mutual promise to abide by the decision of an arbiter”), from com- (“together”) + promittere (“to promise”); see promise.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/
** Audio (UK):(file)
* (General American, Canada) IPA: /ˈkɑmpɹəˌmaɪz/
** Audio (Southern California):(file)
* (General Australian) IPA: /ˈkɔmpɹəˌmɑɪz/, /ˈkɒmpɹəˌmɑɪz/
* (New Zealand) IPA: /ˈkɔmpɹəˌmaɪz/, /ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/
* Rhymes: -aɪz
* Hyphenation: com‧pro‧mise

### Noun

compromise (countable and uncountable, plural compromises)
* The settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions.
** 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):But basely yielded upon compromise / That which his noble ancestors achieved with blows.
** 1775, Edmund Burke, Conciliation with America:All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter.
** 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:An abhorrence of concession and compromise is a never failing characteristic of religious factions.
** 2021 June 30, Philip Haigh, “Regional trains squeezed as ECML congestion heads north”, in RAIL, number 934, page 53:That's the nature of compromises. They truly satisfy no one.
* A committal to something derogatory or objectionable; a prejudicial concession; a surrender.
    a compromise of character or right
** 1823, Charles Lamb, Modern Gallantry:I was determined not to accept any fine speeches, to the compromise of that sex the belonging to which was, after all, my strongest claim and title to them.
* (computer security) A breach of a computer or network's rules such that an unauthorized disclosure or loss of sensitive information may have occurred, or the unauthorized disclosure or loss itself.

#### Derived terms

* compromiseless
* immunocompromise
* procompromise

#### Related terms

* promise

#### Further reading

* “compromise”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* “compromise”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

### Verb

compromise (third-person singular simple present compromises, present participle compromising, simple past and past participle compromised)
* (transitive, intransitive) To bind by mutual agreement.
** c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:Laban and himself were compromised / That all the eanlings which were streaked and pied / Should fall as Jacob's hire.
* To adjust and settle by mutual concessions; to compound.
    Synonym: split the difference
** a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC:The controversy may easily be compromised.
* (intransitive) To find a way between extremes.
* To pledge by some act or declaration; to endanger the life, reputation, etc., of, by some act which can not be recalled; to expose to suspicion.
** 1856, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic. A History. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:to pardon all who had been compromised in the late disturbances
* (transitive) To cause impairment of.
* (transitive) To breach (a security system).
    They tried to compromise the security in the computer by guessing the password.

#### Derived terms

* anticompromise
* compromisable
* compromisation
* compromise rules
* compromiser
* compromising (adjective)

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Further reading

* Compromise in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

### Anagrams

* micropoems

## Italian
### Verb

compromise
* third-person singular past historic of compromettere