complementary distribution

American

noun

Linguistics.

a relation such that the members of a pair or set of phones, morphs, or other linguistic units have no environment in common, as aspirated “p” and unaspirated “p” in English, the first occurring only in positions where the second does not.

Etymology

Origin of complementary distribution

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Supported by its specialty food products manufacturing and processing units as well as its complementary distribution system we believe this will make for a well-diversified business," wrote Perri, who has a "buy" rating on Premium Brands, with a stock target price of C$15.

From Reuters

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023