complement

SayKOM-pluh-muhntUS/ˈkɑmpləmənt/UK/ˈkɒmpləmənt/

Pluralcomplements

Verbcomplements, complementing, complemented

Often confused with compliment

27 meanings of complement

Practice

1
nouncountable
A thing that goes well with another and helps make it complete.
Like the second half of a puzzle that finishes the picture.
A good red wine is the perfect complement to a steak dinner.
Her calm nature was a lovely complement to his restless energy.
Similaraccompaniment, addition, companion, supplement, counterpart
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2
verbtransitive
To go well with something by adding what it is missing.
Like two puzzle pieces that fit because each has the shape the other is missing.
Their skills complement each other well, with each person covering the other's weak spots.
A quiet manager and an outgoing assistant can complement one another.
Similarbalance, complete, supplement
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3
verbtransitive
To make something whole or bring it to its best state.
Like the last brick that finishes a wall.
A few good photos complement the report and make it whole.
The dessert complemented the meal and brought it to a perfect close.
Similarcomplete, perfect, crown
4
nouncountable or uncountable
The full number or amount needed to make something complete.
Like a full carton of a dozen eggs, with none missing.
The team finally had its full complement of players for the match.
The ship carried a complete complement of food and water.
Similarquota, allotment, contingent
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5
nouncountable
A word or group of words that finishes a sentence by telling more about the subject or object.
Like the missing piece that finishes the meaning of a sentence.
In the sentence 'She is a doctor,' the phrase 'a doctor' acts as the complement.
Linking verbs usually need a complement to complete the thought.
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6
nouncountable or uncountable
The full group of people needed to run a ship.
Like having a full team on the field, with no spots empty.
The ship sailed with its full complement of sailors.
A submarine carries a smaller complement than a large warship.
Similarcrew, company, personnel
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7
nouncountable
The angle that adds to another to make a right angle of ninety degrees.
Like two pieces that together make a perfect square corner.
The complement of a thirty-degree angle is sixty degrees.
To find the complement, subtract the angle from ninety.
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8
nouncountable
The set of items that are in one group but not in the other.
Like everyone in the room who is not wearing a hat.
The complement of the even numbers in this list is the odd ones.
If you take out the red marbles, the complement is all the other colors.
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9
nouncountable
The color that mixes with another to make black or white.
Like the matching color directly across from another on a color wheel.
Orange is the complement of blue on the color wheel.
Artists place a color next to its complement to make it stand out.
Similaropposite
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10
noununcountable
Blood proteins that work with antibodies to fight infection.
Like a clean-up crew that arrives to finish the job antibodies start.
The body uses complement to attack invading bacteria.
Low complement can be a sign of certain diseases.
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11
nouncountable
The musical interval that adds to another to make a full octave.
Like two pieces of a ruler that together measure one full length.
The complement of a perfect fourth is a perfect fifth.
To find the complement, see which interval fills the rest of the octave.
Similarinversion
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12
nouncountable
A way of writing a number by subtracting it from a power of its base, used to store negative numbers.
Like measuring how far a number sits below a full odometer rollover.
To represent minus five, the computer stores its two's complement.
Taking the complement of a number in binary lets a chip treat subtraction as addition.
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13
nouncountable
A bit flipped to its opposite value, so a one becomes a zero and a zero becomes a one.
Like a light switch that flips from on to off.
The complement of one is zero.
Flipping every bit gives you the complement of the byte.
Similarinverse, negation
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14
nouncountable
A number formed by subtracting each digit from the top digit of its base.
Like changing every digit to its mirror image against the biggest digit.
The nines' complement of four is five.
Flipping all the bits gives the ones' complement of the number.
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15
nouncountable
A statement that is true exactly when another statement is false, and false when the other is true.
Like a light switch: when one position is on, the matching one is off.
The complement of "it is raining" is true whenever the original sentence is false.
Every statement has a complement that flips its truth value.
Similarnegation
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16
nouncountable
A strand of DNA or RNA in which each base is paired with its matching opposite base.
Like a key that fits one lock: each base matches only its own partner.
The complement of this DNA strand has a T wherever the original has an A.
Scientists built the complement to match the sample sequence.
Note
17
nouncountable
A voltage that stands for the opposite logic value: high instead of low, or low instead of high.
Like flipping a switch from on to off.
The complement of a high signal is a low signal.
An inverter outputs the complement of whatever voltage it receives.
Similarinverse
18
nouncountable
A number made from another one so that the two add up to a round number like ten or a hundred.
The complement of 3 in base ten is 7, because they add up to ten.
Computers use the complement of a number to do subtraction quickly.
Note
19
verbtransitive
To change a number, voltage, or color into its opposite matching value.
You can complement each bit to flip the image colors.
The circuit complements the signal before sending it on.
Similarinvert, flip
20
nouncountableabbreviation
Short form of complementary good. A product you tend to buy and use together with another.
A printer needs ink, so ink is its complement.
Cars and gasoline are complements, because you can hardly use one without the other.
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21
noununcountable
A group of blood proteins that help the immune system find and destroy germs.
Like a cleanup crew in the blood that tags germs and breaks them apart.
Complement in the blood helps white cells track down and kill bacteria.
When complement is low, the body fights infections less well.
Similaralexin
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22
nouncountable
In old writing systems, a small sign added to a word-sign to show part of how it should be read.
The scribe added a small complement to the symbol to show how to read it.
Each complement told the reader part of the word's sound.
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23
nounarchaiccountable
Someone or something that completes another and makes it whole.
Like the last piece that finishes a puzzle.
She was the complement of his life, the one who made it whole.
A loyal friend is the complement of a happy home.
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24
nounobsoletecountable
An item that completes someone's clothing or gear, like an accessory.
Garnish'd and deck'd in modest complement,
1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”Here, complement means the clothing and accessories that finish an outfit.
A man should be judged by himselfe, and not by his complements.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, The EssayesHere, complements means outward extras like clothes and accessories.
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25
nounobsoleteuncountable
The act of finishing something, or the state of being finished.
And both encreast the prayse of woman kynde, / And both encreast her beautie excellent: / So all did make in her a perfect complement.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, complement means completeness, the state of being whole and perfect.
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26
nouncountable
An old way to spell compliment, a kind remark that praises someone.
He paid her a graceful complement on her singing.
She blushed at the complement and thanked the gentleman.
Similartribute, accolade, praise
Oppositeinsult, criticism
Note
27
verbtransitive
An old way to spell compliment, to say kind words that praise someone.
The guests complemented the host on his fine dinner.
She liked to complement her friends on their good work.
Similarpraise, commend, congratulate, flatter, laud
Oppositeinsult, criticize, disparage

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of complement apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Latin complementum, meaning something that fills up or completes, from the verb compleo, "I fill up, I complete."