Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

complementary medicine

American  
[kahm-pluh-men-tuh-ree med-uh-sin] / ˌkɑm pləˈmɛn tə ri ˈmɛd ə sɪn /

noun

  1. Medicine/Medical. nonstandard medical therapies such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, and nutritional regimentation, which could conceivably be used in conjunction with such traditional health options as prescription drugs, surgery, and radiation treatment. Compare alternative medicine.


complementary medicine British  

noun

  1. Also called: alternative medicine.  the treatment, alleviation, or prevention of disease by such techniques as osteopathy, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and acupuncture, allied with attention to such factors as diet and emotional stability, which can affect a person's wellbeing See also holism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

complementary medicine Scientific  
  1. A method of delivering of health care that combines the therapies and philosophies of conventional medicine with those of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and biofeedback.


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.

But other views, such as his support for complementary medicine, still attract scorn.

From Reuters • Nov. 5, 2018

Note that the paper doesn’t once mention acupuncture, or complementary medicine.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2018

Georgetown University offers masters degrees in complementary medicine, and the University of Arizona trains its medical students in the practice.

From Economist • May 19, 2016

Prince Charles has been a well-known supporter of complementary medicine.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2014

Yet Dr. Gonzalez, whom I interviewed in 2003, was a fascinating figure in the world of cancer, walking a tenuous boundary between orthodox oncology and alternative medicine — or what is now called complementary medicine.

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 1459

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "complementary medicine" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com