# supplement

Pronunciation: say "SUP-luh-muhnt" US /ˈsʌp.lə.mənt/, AUS /ˈsɐp.lə.mənt/; UK say "SUP-li-muhnt" /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/

## Noun

1. Something added to a thing, especially an addition made to make up for a missing or insufficient part.
   - Simple: Something extra added to fill a gap or make a thing complete.
   - _The committee issued a supplement to address the gaps in the original findings._
   - _Her income from teaching served as a supplement to the family budget._
2. A vitamin, herbal extract, or chemical compound taken to make up for dietary gaps or boost muscle growth, along with the tablet, capsule, powder, or drink that delivers it.
   - Simple: A pill, powder, or drink you take to add vitamins or other things your body needs.
   - _The doctor recommended a vitamin D supplement after her blood test._
   - _Bodybuilders often stack several supplements to maximize recovery and growth._
4. An addition containing further information, corrections, or updates for a document or publication.
   - Simple: An extra part added to a book or document to add new facts or fix mistakes.
   - _The publisher released a supplement updating the legal code after the new law passed._
   - _Readers received a supplement with the missing diagrams and corrected figures._
5. An additional section of a newspaper covering a specific subject, or an extra section or issue of a journal serving a similar purpose.
   - Simple: An extra part of a newspaper or magazine that covers one special topic.
   - _The newspaper's weekend supplement focused entirely on local food culture._
   - _The journal published a special supplement devoted to climate research._
6. An extra charge added to a base price, especially for a premium food item at a restaurant.
   - Simple: An extra charge you pay on top of the normal price, often for a special meal.
   - _Choosing the steak adds a small supplement to the fixed-price lunch._
   - _Each premium cheese on the tasting menu carries its own supplement._
7. An angle which, added to a given angle, totals 180 degrees: the supplementary angle.
   - Simple: The angle you add to another angle to make a straight line of 180 degrees.
   - _The supplement of an obtuse angle is always acute._
   - _Students calculated each angle's supplement before drawing the diagram._
8. A nonessential adjunct, especially a supplementary relative clause that adds extra information without being grammatically required.
   - Simple: An extra part of a sentence that adds detail but is not needed for the main meaning.
   - _The clause 'who lives in Paris' functions as a supplement here._
   - _Editors often set off a supplement with commas or dashes._

## Verb

3. To add something to a thing in order to complete it or make up for what it lacks.
   - Simple: To add something extra so a thing is bigger, better, or more complete.
   - _Many families supplement their diet with food from their own gardens._
   - _The grant supplements funding that the school already receives._

## Origin

From Latin supplementum ("that which is added to supply a shortage"), from supplere ("to provide something").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/supplement (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).