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definitions

complementary color

noun

Art.
  1. one of a pair of primary or secondary colors opposed to the other member of the pair on a schematic chart or scale (color wheel), as green opposed to red, orange opposed to blue, or violet opposed to yellow.Compare analogous color.
  2. the relationship of these pairs of colors perceived as completing or enhancing each other.
secondary color.

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Nearby words

  1. complementary air,
  2. complementary angle,
  3. complementary angles,
  4. complementary base,
  5. complementary cells,
  6. complementary colour,
  7. complementary distribution,
  8. complementary dna,
  9. complementary gene,
  10. complementary hypertrophy

Origin of complementary color

First recorded in 1820–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Science definitions for complementary color

complementary color

A secondary color that, when combined with the primary color whose wavelength it does not contain, produces white light. Thus yellow, which is produced by mixing the primary colors red and green, is the complementary color of blue. See Note at color.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.