complementary
[ kom-pluh-men-tuh-ree, -tree ]
/ ˌkɒm pləˈmɛn tə ri, -tri /
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adjective
forming a complement; completing.
complementing each other.
noun, plural com·ple·men·ta·ries.
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Origin of complementary
First recorded in 1590–1600; complement + -ary
OTHER WORDS FROM complementary
com·ple·men·ta·ri·ness, nounun·com·ple·men·ta·ry, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use complementary in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for complementary
complementary
complemental
/ (ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛntərɪ, -trɪ) /
adjective
acting as or forming a complement; completing
forming a satisfactory or balanced whole
forming a mathematical complementsine and cosine are complementary functions
maths logic (of a pair of sets, etc) mutually exclusive and exhaustive, each being the complement of the other
(of genes) producing an effect in association with other genes
involving or using the treatments and techniques of complementary medicine
Derived forms of complementary
complementarily or complementally, adverbcomplementariness, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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