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Showing results for supplementary.
Synonyms

supplementary

American  
[suhp-luh-men-tuh-ree] / ˌsʌp ləˈmɛn tə ri /

adjective

  1. Also of the nature of or forming a supplement; additional.

noun

plural

supplementaries

  1. a person or thing that is supplementary.

supplementary British  
/ -trɪ, ˌsʌplɪˈmɛntərɪ /

adjective

  1. Also (less commonly): supplemental.  forming or acting as a supplement

"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

noun

  1. a person or thing that is a supplement

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonsupplementary adjective
  • presupplementary adjective
  • supplementarily adverb
  • unsupplementary adjective

Etymology

Origin of supplementary

First recorded in 1660–70; supplement + -ary

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.

Oil and gas firms operating in the North Sea pay a 30% corporation tax on their profits and a supplementary 10% rate on top of that.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Edesia’s latest product is a supplementary food for infants in the first two years to make sure they get all the nutrients they need.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet on Friday approved a draft supplementary budget for the fiscal year ending March 2026 that is worth 18.303 trillion yen, or about $117.10 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

"I ask the relevant ministers to work on securing the necessary supplementary budget and implementing the required tax measures for the contents presented here," Takaichi told the meeting attended by ministers and experts.

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

The nets were designed to leach condensation out of the cool night air, and were an important supplementary source of water in the Elmuthaleth.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.