complement
[ noun kom-pluh-muh nt; verb kom-pluh-ment ]
/ noun ˈkɒm plə mənt; verb ˈkɒm pləˌmɛnt /
noun
verb (used with object)
to complete; form a complement to: This belt complements the dress better than that one.
Obsolete. to compliment.
verb (used without object)
Obsolete. to compliment.
Words nearby complement
Origin of complement
OTHER WORDS FROM complement
com·ple·ment·er, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH complement
complement supplement (see synonym study at the current entry)complement compliment (see usage note at the current entry)synonym study for complement
12. Complement, supplement both mean to make additions to something. To complement is to provide something felt to be lacking or needed; it is often applied to putting together two things, each of which supplies what is lacking in the other, to make a complete whole: Two statements from different points of view may complement each other. To supplement is merely to add to: Some additional remarks may supplement his address.
usage note for complement
Complement and compliment, which are pronounced alike and originally shared some meanings, have become separate words with entirely different meanings. As a noun, complement means “something that completes or makes perfect”: The rare old brandy was a perfect complement to the delicious meal. As a verb, complement means “to complete”: A bright scarf complements a dark suit. The noun compliment means “an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration”: The members paid her the compliment of a standing ovation. The verb compliment means “to pay a compliment to”: Everyone complimented him after the recital.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for complementing
Complementing him, she added Uri Sagi, a well-respected former leader of military intelligence.
The strategy of complementing helps in broadening the interpretation.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai NadinCorruption, theft and graft were tolerated by the state as means of complementing income.
After the Rain|Sam VakninComplementing the work of these men and women was the opinion of the American serviceman himself.
Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965|Morris J. MacGregor, Jr.
British Dictionary definitions for complementing
complement
noun (ˈkɒmplɪmənt)
verb (ˈkɒmplɪˌmɛnt)
(tr) to add to, make complete, or form a complement to
Word Origin for complement
C14: from Latin complēmentum, from complēre to fill up, from com- (intensive) + plēre to fill
undefined complement
Avoid confusion with compliment
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for complementing
complement
[ kŏm′plə-mənt ]
n.
A group of proteins found in normal blood serum and plasma that are activated sequentially in a cascadelike mechanism that allows them to combine with antibodies and destroy pathogenic bacteria and other foreign cells.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for complementing
complement
[ kŏm′plə-mənt ]
A group of proteins in blood serum that interact systematically as part of the body's immune response to destroy disease-causing antigens, especially bacteria. Complement proteins interact with antibodies and other chemical substances to cause the disintegration of foreign cells and enhance other immune functions such as phagocytosis.
A complementary color.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.