supplement

[ noun suhp-luh-muhnt; verb suhp-luh-ment ]

/ noun ˈsʌp lə mənt; verb ˈsʌp ləˌmɛnt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: supplement / supplemented / supplementing / supplements on Thesaurus.com

noun

something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole.

a part added to a book, document, etc., to supply additional or later information, correct errors, or the like.

a part, usually of special character, issued as an additional feature of a newspaper or other periodical.

Geometry. the quantity by which an angle or an arc falls short of 180° or a semicircle.

verb (used with object)

to complete, add to, or extend by a supplement.

to form a supplement or addition to.

to supply (a deficiency).

OTHER WORDS FOR supplement

2 addendum, epilogue, postscript.

See synonyms for supplement on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of supplement

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin supplēmentum “that by which anything is made full,” equivalent to sup-sup- + plē- (stem of plēre “to fill”; see full¹) + -mentum-ment

synonym study for supplement

2. See appendix. 5. See complement.

OTHER WORDS FROM supplement

sup·ple·ment·er, nounun·sup·ple·ment·ed, adjectivewell-sup·ple·ment·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH supplement

1. appendix, index, supplement (see synonym study at appendix)2. complement, supplement (see synonym study at complement)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use supplement in a sentence

In one 2005 study, Richardson and her team showed improved mental health in children who took omega-3 supplements.
Warning! Junk foods can harm a teen’s brain|Sharon Oosthoek|November 19, 2020|Science News For Students
The question of whether dietary supplements might help combat the coronavirus reveals an essential tension between what people want and what we’ve got.
With a pandemic, impatience can be deadly|Nancy Shute|November 15, 2020|Science News
The attention to well-being and the immune system has revived interest in vitamins and supplements, poised to make the company’s health science unit more important.
This snack food giant wants to wean us off our lockdown cravings|Bernhard Warner|November 7, 2020|Fortune
For those averse to tablets or capsules, a smoothie is a ideal vehicle for consuming vitamins by dropping a supplement scoop in with your fruits and vegetables.
Gift Guide: The best beauty and wellness presents of 2020|Rachel King|November 1, 2020|Fortune

But, Nathoo views the platform as more of a supplement to traditional education.
Teachers are leaving schools. Will they come to startups next?|Natasha Mascarenhas|October 30, 2020|TechCrunch
While airplanes are used to get aerial views now, they may soon be supplemented with drones, Triplett said.
Fighting Wildfire With Satellites, Lasers, and Drones|Elizabeth Lopatto|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Well yes he did, supplemented with beers and wine and Cointreau and Champagne.
The Final Roar: Paul Reid on Finishing William Manchester’s Life of Churchill|Kevin Canfield|November 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A few of those columns, supplemented with vignettes from her life as a home cook, were collected for Home Cooking.
Classic Food Memoirs|Tien Nguyen|March 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And wind power must be supplemented with hydrocarbons for reliability.
A Centrist Gets Fighting Mad|Mark McKinnon|October 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
These have been supplemented by jewelry from the Cairo Museum and with a 33 B.C. papyrus, on loan from the Neues Museum in Berlin.
Cleopatra's Comeback|Stacy Schiff|June 3, 2010|DAILY BEAST
A written notice need not be signed and an insufficient notice may be supplemented by verbal communication.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
It is one not likely to be supplemented in times of peace, since surface boats would be cheaper and more available.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
Pliny supplemented and amplified the weekly newspaper, and so was very useful to Baines.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
"It's eleven laps to the mile," supplemented Mrs. Kennedy with a smile.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
Edward was asked to name the preceptor who had so ably supplemented the course of the royal education.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman

British Dictionary definitions for supplement

supplement

noun (ˈsʌplɪmənt)

an addition designed to complete, make up for a deficiency, etc

a section appended to a publication to supply further information, correct errors, etc

a magazine or section inserted into a newspaper or periodical, such as one with colour photographs issued every week

geometry

either of a pair of angles whose sum is 180°
an arc of a circle that when added to another arc forms a semicircleAbbreviation: sup, supp

verb (ˈsʌplɪˌmɛnt)

(tr) to provide a supplement to, esp in order to remedy a deficiency

Derived forms of supplement

supplementation, nounsupplementer, noun

Word Origin for supplement

C14: from Latin supplēmentum, from supplēre to supply 1

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

supplement

OTHER WORDS FOR supplement

Origin of supplement

synonym study for supplement

OTHER WORDS FROM supplement

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH supplement

Words related to supplement

How to use supplement in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for supplement

Derived forms of supplement

Word Origin for supplement