The word "offset" commonly refers to a counterbalancing or compensating factor. It can denote an amount that serves to balance or counteract another amount. In various contexts, such as finance or engineering, it often describes an action taken to balance a discrepancy or to mitigate the effects of something negative.
The term "offset" comes from the Middle English "offset" meaning a 'set off' or 'a balance,' which derives from the Old English "ofsettan," meaning 'to set off from,' where 'of-' means 'off' and 'settan' means 'to set.'