complement

[ noun kom-pluh-muh nt; verb kom-pluh-ment ]

/ noun ˈkɒm plə mənt; verb ˈkɒm pləˌmɛnt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR complement ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that completes or makes perfect: A good wine is a complement to a good meal.

the quantity or amount that completes anything: We now have a full complement of packers.

either of two parts or things needed to complete the whole; counterpart.

full quantity or amount; complete allowance.

the full number of officers and crew required on a ship.

Grammar.

a word or group of words that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object, as small in The house is small or president in They elected her president.Compare object complement, subject complement.
any word or group of words used to complete a grammatical construction, especially in the predicate, including adverbials, as on the table in He put it on the table, infinitives, as to go in They are ready to go, and sometimes objects, as ball in He caught the ball.

Geometry. the quantity by which an angle or an arc falls short of 90° or a quarter of a circle. Compare supplement(def 4).

Also called absolute complement. Mathematics. the set of all the elements of a universal set not included in a given set.

Music. the interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval.

Immunology.

a system in vertebrate blood of 12 or more proteins that react in a cascade to a cell displaying immune complexes or foreign surfaces, acting in various combinations to coat the cell and promote phagocytosis, make holes in the cell wall, or enhance the inflammatory response.
any of the proteins in the complement system, designated C1, C2, etc.

complementary color.

verb (used with object)

to complete; form a complement to: This belt complements the dress better than that one.

Obsolete. to compliment.

verb (used without object)

Obsolete. to compliment.

Origin of complement

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin complēmentum something that completes, equivalent to complē(re) to fill up (see complete) + -mentum -ment

synonym study for complement

12. Complement, supplement both mean to make additions to something. To complement is to provide something felt to be lacking or needed; it is often applied to putting together two things, each of which supplies what is lacking in the other, to make a complete whole: Two statements from different points of view may complement each other. To supplement is merely to add to: Some additional remarks may supplement his address.

usage note for complement

Complement and compliment, which are pronounced alike and originally shared some meanings, have become separate words with entirely different meanings. As a noun, complement means “something that completes or makes perfect”: The rare old brandy was a perfect complement to the delicious meal. As a verb, complement means “to complete”: A bright scarf complements a dark suit. The noun compliment means “an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration”: The members paid her the compliment of a standing ovation. The verb compliment means “to pay a compliment to”: Everyone complimented him after the recital.

OTHER WORDS FROM complement

com·ple·ment·er, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH complement

complement supplement (see synonym study at the current entry) complement compliment (see usage note at the current entry)

Words nearby complement

compleat, compleat angler, the, complect, complected, complection, complement, complement binding assay, complement clause, complement fixation, complement fixation test, complement protein

Example sentences from the Web for complement

They play an important role fighting next to the men because they complement one another.

Embedding With the Women Who Are Kicking ISIS Ass |Susannah George |December 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
To complement brain wiring, everyone walks around with retinal cams.

The Internet Embedded in Your Head |J.T. Price |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The ship is highly automated with a crew of just 142 -- compared to older ships that have a complement of about 300.

Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat? |Dave Majumdar |October 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The mini-thons will be thematically organized to complement the new episode.

A 200-Hour ‘Simpsons’ Marathon? That’s Unpossible! |Rich Goldstein |July 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Indeed, text and sound not only complement but enhance one another.

Beguiling Books on Steroids Make Interactive Reading a Pleasure |Malcolm Jones |June 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Love, in the exclusive form, has jealousy for its complement; and jealousy brings on strife and division.

History of American Socialisms |John Humphrey Noyes
All reservists are assigned to units structured to complement and provide needed depth to our active forces.

Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006 |Various
It is not less essential that the followers know each other and prepare themselves to complement each other.

The Armed Forces Officer |U. S. Department of Defense
Only, up to a short while ago, she had been his complement; whereas now he appeared to be her complement.

Mr. Prohack |E. Arnold Bennett
My overseer and another man were now added to the party, making up our complement in number.

Journals Of Expeditions Of Discovery Into Central Australia And Overland |Edward John Eyre

British Dictionary definitions for complement

complement

noun (ˈkɒmplɪmənt)

a person or thing that completes something

one of two parts that make up a whole or complete each other

a complete amount, number, etc (often in the phrase full complement)

the officers and crew needed to man a ship

grammar

a noun phrase that follows a copula or similar verb, as for example an idiot in the sentence He is an idiot
a clause that serves as the subject or direct object of a verb or the direct object of a preposition, as for example that he would be early in the sentence I hoped that he would be early

maths the angle that when added to a specified angle produces a right angle

logic maths the class of all things, or of all members of a given universe of discourse, that are not members of a given set

music the inverted form of an interval that, when added to the interval, completes the octave the sixth is the complement of the third

immunol a group of proteins in the blood serum that, when activated by antibodies, causes destruction of alien cells, such as bacteria

verb (ˈkɒmplɪˌmɛnt)

(tr) to add to, make complete, or form a complement to

Word Origin for complement

C14: from Latin complēmentum, from complēre to fill up, from com- (intensive) + plēre to fill

undefined complement

Avoid confusion with compliment

Medical definitions for complement

complement

[ kŏm′plə-mənt ]

n.

A group of proteins found in normal blood serum and plasma that are activated sequentially in a cascadelike mechanism that allows them to combine with antibodies and destroy pathogenic bacteria and other foreign cells.

Scientific definitions for complement

complement

[ kŏm′plə-mənt ]

A group of proteins in blood serum that interact systematically as part of the body's immune response to destroy disease-causing antigens, especially bacteria. Complement proteins interact with antibodies and other chemical substances to cause the disintegration of foreign cells and enhance other immune functions such as phagocytosis.

A complementary color.

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complement