complement

1 of 2

noun

com·​ple·​ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt How to pronounce complement (audio)
1
a
: something that fills up, completes, or makes better or perfect
The scarf is a perfect complement to her outfit.
b(1)
: the full quantity, number, or assortment needed or included
… the usual complement of eyes and ears …Francis Parkman
… after several more minutes of waiting, the full complement of runners was sent off by the starter's pistol.Craig Neff
(2)
: the whole force or personnel of a ship
c
: one of two mutually completing parts : counterpart
She is a kind of complement to me, and we get on famously.Flannery O'Connor
2
: an added word or expression by which a predication is made complete (such as president in "they elected him president" and beautiful in "he thought her beautiful")
3
a
: the angle or arc that when added to a given angle or arc equals a right angle in measure
b
: the set of all elements that do not belong to a given set and are contained in a particular mathematical set containing the given set
c
: a number that when added to a certain number of the same sign yields a number with the digit 1 as the significant digit farthest to the left and the digit 0 in every other digit place
used especially in assembly language programming
4
: the musical interval required with a given interval to complete the octave
5
: the thermolabile group of proteins in normal blood serum and plasma that in combination with antibodies causes the destruction especially of particulate antigens (such as bacteria and foreign blood corpuscles)

Illustration of complement

Illustration of complement
  • ACB right angle
  • ACD complement of DCB (and vice versa)
  • AD complement of DB (and vice versa)

complement

2 of 2

verb

com·​ple·​ment ˈkäm-plə-ˌment How to pronounce complement (audio)
complemented; complementing; complements

transitive verb

1
: to complete or enhance by providing something additional : to be complementary to
The illustrations complement the text.
2
obsolete : compliment

intransitive verb

obsolete : to exchange formal courtesies

Did you know?

Is it complement or compliment?

Today there is no overlap between the meanings of complement and compliment, as either nouns or verbs, but their similar spellings and pronunciations make them prime candidates for confusion. Despite the difference in their meanings, both complement and compliment have roots in the Latin word complēre which means “to complete.” Complement remains true to that origin in its spelling and in its meanings that have to do with completing or completion. Keep that connection in mind and there should be no question as to whether complement or compliment is the correct word to use in a given context.

Examples of complement in a Sentence

Noun With the loss of just one American and four Japanese carriers, including their complements of aircraft and many of their superbly trained fliers …  , Midway … put the Japanese navy at a disadvantage from which it never recovered. David M. Kennedy, Atlantic, March 1999
Exact observation of the outer world was the complement to a literal reading of Scripture. Garry Wills, Under God, 1990
The usual complement of Kremlin guards was about, one company of infantry with light arms. Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising, 1986
His faults are accepted as the necessary complement to his merits. W. Somerset Maugham, Moon and Sixpence, 1919
The scarf is a perfect complement to her outfit. a full complement of farm animals her usual complement of attendants a ship's complement of officers “President” in “they elected her president” and “to work” in “he wants to work” are different kinds of complements. Verb Carrots often work even better than sticks, so I propose a skinny subsidy to complement the fat tax. Jonathan Rauch, Atlantic, December 2002
The love of Bottom's bottomless vision at least complements, if it does not transcend, the rational love of Theseus. Frank Kermode, Shakespeare's Language, 2000
… his ice-blue Appalachian eyes glint through horn-rimmed glasses, which complement his salt-and-pepper beard. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New Yorker, 19 June 1995
… lively photographs, illustrations and cartoons designed to complement the meanings of the poems and give a leg-up to the imagination. Carol Ann Duffy, Times Literary Supplement, 4-10 Dec. 1987
The shirt complements the suit nicely. a delicious dinner complemented by a splendid dessert The soup and salad complement each other well.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The film is generally a good complement to Mariem Pérez Riera’s very fine Moreno documentary Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Fish is sourced from Japan, with bluefin tuna hailing from Mexico and Spain, and the cocktail pairing is a nice complement. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Lola’s characteristically menacing delivery is a smart complement to TaTa’s boisterous ad-libs and Kyle Ricch’s high-octane flow. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 The Pelicans, with basically their full complement of players, seemed to have too much offensive firepower for the makeshift Grizzlies to keep pace. Clay Bailey, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 For a full complement of state-of-the-art editing tools, Photoshop and Lightroom Classic are our Editors' Choice winners. PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 The coach also alluded to a tough decision — once Johnson is ready, the Avs will have their full complement of defensemen available. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2024 As a complement to the 2024 letter, The Wall Street Journal featured some of Buffett’s more memorable sayings from nearly sixty years of letters. Carmine Gallo, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Our hunch is their football games will find a home on CBS and/or FS1 as a complement to the Mountain West inventory currently on those networks. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
From the 48-inch display to Google real-time navigation, voice recognition, Alexa and CarPlay, there’s no vehicle that complements connectivity and devices better. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 The shoe runs true to size and comes in a number of fun colors, including a coral and papaya combo that perfectly complements a tropical climate and can liven up a more neutral colored outfit. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 Zendaya complemented the dress with Bulgari jewelry—including eye-popping fuchsia statement earrings. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 Back in January at the 2023 Emmy Awards — where Plemons was nominated for best supporting actor in a limited series or a movie, for his role in Love & Death — the spouses stepped out for a stylish date night, complementing each other in deep maroon and black. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 One year later, Winograd and Don Coppersmith introduced a new algorithm that beautifully complemented the laser method. Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Ultimately, artificial intelligence should complement and elevate human intelligence and capability, not replace it. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 This classic American steakhouse offers 7,500 square feet of stunning interiors, a dynamic menu of elevated steakhouse favorites complemented by Izzy’s classic sides and dishes, as well as an inventive cocktail program, robust wine list, dynamic private dining spaces, an alfresco garden and more. Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 They’re meant to complement the sticky rice and the smokiness of the meats. Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "means of completing, consummation," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "carrying out" (also continental Middle French), borrowed from Latin complēmentum "something that fills out or completes," from complēre "to fill, make up, carry to completion" + -mentum -ment — more at complete entry 1

Note: See note at compliment entry 1.

Verb

derivative of complement entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of complement was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near complement

Cite this Entry

“Complement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complement. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

complement

1 of 2 noun
com·​ple·​ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt How to pronounce complement (audio)
1
: something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect
2
: full quantity, number, or amount
a ship's complement of officers and crew
3
a
: the angle that when added to a given angle equals 90 degrees
b
: the set of all elements not included in a given mathematical set
4
: an added word or group of words by which the predicate of a sentence is made complete
"president" in "they elected her president" and "to work" in "he wants to work" are different kinds of complements
5
: a heat-sensitive substance in normal blood that in combination with antibodies destroys antigens (as bacteria and foreign blood corpuscles)

complement

2 of 2 verb
com·​ple·​ment ˈkäm-plə-ˌment How to pronounce complement (audio)
: to form or serve as a complement to
a shirt that complements a suit

Medical Definition

complement

noun
com·​ple·​ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt How to pronounce complement (audio)
1
: a group or set (as of chromosomes or DNA) that is typical of the complete organism or one of its parts see chromosome complement
2
: a complementary color
3
: the thermolabile group of proteins in normal blood serum and plasma that in combination with antibodies causes the destruction especially of particulate antigens (as bacteria and foreign blood corpuscles)

More from Merriam-Webster on complement

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