complimentary

American  

[kom-pluh-men-tuh-ree, -tree] / ˌkɒm pləˈmɛn tə ri, -tri /

adjective

1. given free as a gift or courtesy.

   The hotel gives repeat guests a complimentary gift basket

2. expressing a compliment, often one that is politely flattering.

   a complimentary remark.

   Synonyms:

   laudatory, commendatory

   Antonyms:

   abusive

3. showing or conveying approval or favor.

   Our project was received in a complimentary spirit by the community.

   His analysis of our work was not as complimentary as we were hoping it would be.

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noun

• complimentaries
  plural

1. something given or supplied without charge, such as lodging, transportation, or meals, especially as an inducement to prospective customers.

complimentary British  

/ -trɪ, ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛntərɪ /

adjective

1. conveying, containing, or resembling a compliment

2. expressing praise; flattering

3. given free, esp as a courtesy or for publicity purposes

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Usage

What’s the difference between complimentary and complementary? Complimentary is an adjective that can describe something intended to be a compliment—a comment that expresses praise or admiration of someone (as in a complimentary remark). It can also be used to mean that something is given for free, as in I hope we get complimentary snacks on this flight. Complementary is an adjective used to describe something that complements something else—goes along with it and serves to make it better or complete it (as in complementary colors). Since the primary senses of both words are generally used in positive contexts, it can be easy to confuse them. The easiest way to remember the difference is that complementary often involves something that completes something else, and complete also starts with c-o-m-p-l-e. On the other hand, you can remember that complimentary is spelled with an i because compliments are something that I like to get (and give). Nice shirt, by the way. Here’s an example of complimentary and complementary used correctly in the same sentence. Example: Sometimes, when the chef overhears complimentary feedback about a dish, she sends out a complimentary bottle of wine—one that’s complementary to the rest of the meal, of course. Want to learn more? Read about the difference between compliment and complement.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• complimentariness
  noun
• intercomplimentary
  adjective
• quasi-complimentary
  adjective
• uncomplimentary
  adjective
• complimentarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• complimentaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of complimentary

First recorded in 1620–30; compliment + -ary

Explanation

If you say something complimentary, like "Grandma, that plastic flower looks so pretty in your hair," you are flattering, praising or admiring someone. "Resembling a compliment" is one way to define the word complimentary, when you use it in the sense of giving praise. A second meaning of complimentary is "free." If your hotel includes breakfast with the price of your room, they may call it a complimentary breakfast. It's easy to get complimentary confused with complementary, which sounds exactly the same but means "filling in or completing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

complimentary complimentaries

The benefits, like annual hotel credits, TSA PreCheck and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, sounded great, but my college lifestyle didn’t justify using them.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Rodriguez embraced the culture as he sipped a complimentary can of Coca-Cola -- one of around a dozen he had hoarded to share with his family also attending the game.

From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026

Washington journalist Bob Woodward titled his mostly complimentary Greenspan book “Maestro” in deference to the Fed chairman’s seemingly infallible handling of the economy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Hawaiian will still serve complimentary food in economy on its New York-Hawaii flights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Maya muttered something under her breath that did not sound complimentary.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

Why, if I had an interest in your show I could fill your place with complimentaries 30 to the real people of Seaside Park.

From The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park The Rival Photo Theatres of the Boardwalk by Victor [pseud.] Appleton

Fuller, however, always ready for an emergency, sent out a flood of complimentaries to the school-teachers of New York and adjacent territory, and the house was crammed.

From Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 1 (1835-1866) by Albert Bigelow Paine

Through some unaccountable oversight, they neglected to specially mark or punch these complimentaries.

From A Pirate of Parts by Richard Neville

"Now sure, Captain Jack, ye's always full of your complimentaries," replied the sutler, taking the bridle of her customer.

From The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper

When it became evident to Fuller that the venture was not going to pay, he sent out a flood of complimentaries to the school-teachers of New York City and the surrounding districts.

From Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 2 (1867-1875) by Albert Bigelow Paine

Related Words

• appreciative
• congratulatory
• polite
• respectful