complement
noun
com·ple·ment
| \ ˈkäm-plə-mənt
\
\
Definition of complement
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: 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")
3a
: 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
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)
complement
verb
com·ple·ment
| \ ˈkäm-plə-ˌment
\
\
complemented;
complementing;
complements
Definition of complement (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to complete or enhance by providing something additional : to be complementary to
The illustrations complement the text.
obsolete
: to exchange formal courtesies
Illustration of complement
Noun
complement 3a: ACB right angle, ACD complement of DCB (and vice versa), AD complement of DB (and vice versa)
In the meaning defined above
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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
Kitna is coming along at an important time, the 46-year-old looking like the perfect complement for someone exactly 20 years younger. — Washington Post, "Kitna returns to NFL with Cowboys, seeks growth in Prescott," 14 Aug. 2019 Jobim’s understated piano proved a perfect complement. — Tom Maxwell, Longreads, "Remembering João Gilberto," 10 July 2019 Since Siri’s voice has gone through a marked improvement in iOS 13, Messages with Siri is the perfect complement to busybodies whose hands are occupied with dishes, exercise, screaming children or whatever else. — Time, "I've Been Using Apple's New iPhone Software Out Later This Year. These Are My 7 Favorite Features," 1 July 2019 Clarke is a high-energy player who can play physical in the post, a perfect complement to Jackson’s perimeter game. — oregonlive.com, "NBA draft 2019: Trail Blazers, Bol Bol, Pac-12, Oregon Ducks among 10 winners and losers," 21 June 2019 With a whimsical statement skirt, a graphic T-shirt is the perfect casual complement to prevent the outfit from looking over-the-top. — Glamour, "How to Dress Up Your Favorite Graphic T-shirts," 18 June 2019 Back in 2018, the 30-year-old wore an understated blush pink dress with a magenta fascinator — the perfect complement to Princess Eugenie's emerald green shift and leafy hat. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Everyone Is Obsessed With Princess Beatrice's Elaborate Trooping the Colour Dress and Hat," 8 June 2019 On an alpine hiking adventure, sip your way along the Goriška Brda wine route—conveniently crossed by a local cheese trail—and seek advice from cheesemongers on the perfect complement to a bottle of Rebula. — Alena Hadley, National Geographic, "Taste What's Cooking Across the Globe: 10 Edible Trips," 8 Apr. 2019 Naim for Bentley Bluetooth Speaker, 1,199 pounds ($1,687) Naim is a 44-year-old, high-end audio manufacturer based in Wiltshire, England, a perfect complement to Bentley’s heritage. — Fortune, "The Best Non-Car Stuff to Buy From Bentley, Porsche, and BMW," 7 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
That slightly theatrical clipped diction perfectly complemented the narrow, disbelieving eyes and that matinee-idol pompadour. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "Documentary ‘Mike Wallace Is Here’ is a slam-bang look at a slam-bang interviewer," 31 July 2019 The blue 'Thistle Hotels' sponsor perfectly complemented Leeds' classic all-white jersey that deservedly stood the test of time. — SI.com, "50 Most Iconic Football Shirts of All Time," 7 July 2019 The short term benefits for the Lakers are obvious: James now has a bona fide superstar sharing the court with him, one that perfectly complements James's skill set. — Neil Greenberg, courant.com, "After adding Anthony Davis, the Lakers are NBA title favorites. They shouldn’t be.," 17 June 2019 Beauty-wise, Archer's mauve eye makeup and lipstick perfectly complemented her refined outfit. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton's Stylist Natasha Archer Receives an Impressive Royal Honor," 3 May 2019 Bread, cheese and meat plates are complemented by entrees of brisket, short ribs, fish and chili, with an array of sandwiches as well. — Andre Meunier, oregonlive.com, "Hair of the Dog forged bigger, bolder future for craft beer: Portland Breweries Series," 18 July 2019 The chicken is complemented with traditional sides like macaroni and cheese, green beans with bacon, sweet vinegar slaw, plus their own kale crunch salad and parmesan garlic fries. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Joella's Hot Chicken opening in Mason area," 17 July 2019 In the first half, the speed of Rashford, Greenwood and Daniel James was complemented by the intelligent 'number 10' play of Juan Mata, while Paul Pogba pulled the strings from central midfield. — SI.com, "Man Utd 4-0 Leeds: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Rashford & Pogba Star in One-Sided Friendly," 17 July 2019 The ranch’s woodlands and tall grasslands are complemented by unique tar pits, ponds and flowing streams. — Katie Brown, The Mercury News, "“This is definitely a local Standing Rock”: Sargent Ranch," 9 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'complement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.