supplemental

American  

[suhp-luh-men-tl] / ˌsʌp ləˈmɛn tl /

adjective

1. supplementary.

2. nonscheduled.

3. (of a pleading, an affidavit, etc.) added to furnish what is lacking or missing.

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noun

1. anything that is supplemental.

   supplementals attached to the bill in committee.

Other Word Forms

• nonsupplemental
  adjective
• presupplemental
  adjective
• unsupplemental
  adjective
• nonsupplementally
  adverb
• supplementally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of supplemental

First recorded in 1595–1605; supplement + -al ¹

Explanation

You can use the adjective supplemental to describe something extra. You could volunteer to donate your collection of markers and colored pencils to a local school that needs supplemental art supplies. Something that's supplemental is added when there's a lack or deficiency. You might feed the runt from a litter of puppies supplemental milk because he can't get enough from his mother. Teachers are famous for assigning supplemental reading to round out the information in a textbook. Supplemental comes from the Latin supplementum, "added to supply a deficiency."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

supplemental

"And Pg and Fn infections worsen survival rates of untreated recurrent or metastatic oral cancer, even after surgery and risk-adjusted adjuvant, or supplemental, therapies."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Lawmakers did put money toward new cool beds in the last supplemental appropriations bill.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

With the filing, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said they have now completed their responses to the STB’s requests for supplemental information.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

During a combative appearance on Tuesday before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hegseth asked for another $67 billion in supplemental funding for the rest of the budget year.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

I noticed that Boukreev, like Lopsang, wasn’t using supplemental oxygen.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer