diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations.rst
index 98b556bf3fa4..15936c9bfe5d 100644
--- a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations.rst
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations.rst
@@ -169,3 +169,7 @@ The ``TTFPATH`` and ``AFMPATH`` environment variables
 Support for the (undocumented) ``TTFPATH`` and ``AFMPATH`` environment
 variables is deprecated.  Additional fonts may be registered using
 ``matplotlib.font_manager.fontManager.addfont()``.
+
+``matplotlib.compat``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+This module is deprecated.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/compat/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/compat/__init__.py
index e69de29bb2d1..447ceee45347 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/compat/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/compat/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+from matplotlib import cbook
+
+
+cbook.warn_deprecated("3.3", name=__name__, obj_type="module")