complementary

adjective

com·​ple·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
1
: serving to fill out or complete
… their economies are more complementary than competitive …William Petersen
2
: mutually supplying each other's lack
… the complementary relationship that binds the two.Colin S. Gray
3
: relating to or constituting one of a pair of contrasting colors that produce a neutral color when combined in suitable proportions
4
: being complements of each other
complementary acute angles
5
: characterized by the capacity for precise pairing of purine and pyrimidine bases between strands of DNA and sometimes RNA such that the structure of one strand determines the other
6
: of, relating to, or based on complementary medicine
Cancer, for example, might be treated by blending the best of the Western medicine … with complementary approaches that could include … acupuncture, nutrition, herbs and massage.Julie Deardorff
complementarily
ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rə-lē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
-(ˌ)men-ˈter-ə-lē
-ˈta-rə-
adverb
complementariness noun
complementary noun

Examples of complementary in a Sentence

… hot and sour soup encapsulates the Taoist principle central to Chinese culture: yin and yang, the notion of balancing the universe's opposing yet complementary forces. Rebecca Hays, Cook's Illustrated, January & February 2006
Once Austin got used to what he had on, Jerry was going to talk him into a neck scarf of complementary colors and a cream pullover. Alice Munro, Atlantic, January 1990
Vann and Ellsberg were the odd couple, difficult men from different worlds satisfying complementary needs in each other. Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
… it was becoming more and more clear to him that Miss Bart herself possessed precisely the complementary qualities needed to round off his social personality. Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905
She wore a new outfit with a complementary scarf. My spouse and I have complementary goals.
Recent Examples on the Web Cecil can weave melodies into their rich, alto sonorities while simultaneously creating complementary harmonies that enhance the tapestry of their verse. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Travers sees the two as complementary, saying that HugoDecrypte is looking into partnerships with traditional news or investigative outlets. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for complementary 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complementary.' 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

complement entry 1 + -ary entry 2, probably in part after French complémentaire

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of complementary was in 1829

Dictionary Entries Near complementary

Cite this Entry

“Complementary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complementary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

complementary

adjective
com·​ple·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
-ˈmen-trē
: forming or serving as a complement

Medical Definition

complementary

adjective
com·​ple·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
1
: relating to or constituting one of a pair of contrasting colors that produce a neutral color when combined in suitable proportions
2
: characterized by molecular complementarity
especially : characterized by the capacity for precise pairing of purine and pyrimidine bases between strands of DNA and sometimes RNA such that the structure of one strand determines the other
complementariness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on complementary

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