complement en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English complement, from Latin complēmentum (“that which fills up or completes”), from compleō (“to fill up; to complete”) (English complete). Doublet of compliment. The verb is from the noun.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.
Queequeg sought a passage to Christian lands. But the ship, having her full complement of seamen, spurned his suit; and not all the King his father's influence could prevail.
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:Some 11 members of Somerton council's complement of 15 stepped down on Tuesday.
2009 October 30, The Guardian:
- (countable, uncountable) The whole working force of a vessel.
- (countable, uncountable) An angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle.
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(countable, uncountable) Something which completes, something which combines with something else to make up a complete whole; loosely, something perceived to be a harmonious or desirable partner or addition.
History is the complement of poetry.
1854, James Stephen, On Desultory and Systematic Reading:London's Kings Place, now one year old, established itself as a venue for imaginative programming, a complement to the evergreen Wigmore Hall.
2009 December 13, The Guardian:It would be too much to imagine that improving stations will alone create a much needed new image in the public eye; a smartly turned out station staff is a very necessary complement to a smart station.
1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, page 255:
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(countable, uncountable) 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.
Why has our grammar broken down at this point? It is not difficult to see why. For, we have failed to make any provision for the fact that only some Verbs in English (i.e. Verbs like those italicized in (5) (a), traditionally called Transitive Verbs) subcategorize ( = ‘takeʼ) an immediately following NP Complement, whereas others (such as those italicised in (5) (b), traditionally referred to as Intransitive Verbs) do not.
1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 7, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 340:
- (countable, uncountable) A phonetic complement is a graphic element that modifies another, such as (in Linear B script) a small syllabogram that is attached to a logogram as an abbreviation of its reading (as opposed to an adjunct that abbreviates an adjective that modifies that logogram).
- (countable, uncountable) An interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave.
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(countable, uncountable) The color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black (for mixing pigments) or white (for mixing light).
The complement of blue is orange.
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(countable, uncountable) Given two sets, the set containing one set's elements that are not members of the other set (whether a relative complement or an absolute complement).
The complement of the odd numbers is the even numbers, relative to the natural numbers.
- (countable, uncountable) One of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response.
- (countable, uncountable) An expression related to some other expression such that it is true under the same conditions that make other false, and vice versa.
- (countable, uncountable) A voltage level with the opposite logical sense to the given one.
- (countable, uncountable) A bit with the opposite value to the given one; the logical complement of a number.
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(countable, uncountable) The diminished radix complement of a number; the nines' complement of a decimal number; the ones' complement of a binary number.
The complement of 01100101#95;2 is 10011010#95;2.
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(countable, uncountable) The radix complement of a number; the two's complement of a binary number.
The complement of 01100101#95;2 is 10011011#95;2.
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(countable, uncountable) The numeric complement of a number.
The complement of −123 is 123.
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(countable, uncountable) A nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence: adenine (A) by thymine (T) or uracil (U), cytosine (C) by guanine (G), and vice versa.
A DNA molecule is formed from two strands, each of which is the complement of the other.
- (countable, uncountable) Synonym of alexin.
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(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable) Abbreviation of complementary good.
alt of complementary good
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(archaic, countable, uncountable) Something (or someone) that completes; the consummation.
perform all those works of mercy, which Clemens Alexandrinus calls amoris et amicitiæ impletionem et extentionem, the extent and complement of love[…].
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) The act of completing something, or the fact of being complete; completion, completeness, fulfilment.
And both encreast the prayse of woman kynde, / And both encreast her beautie excellent: / So all did make in her a perfect complement.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Something which completes one's equipment, dress etc.; an accessory.
Garnish'd and deck'd in modest complement,
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:A man should be judged by himselfe, and not by his complements.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 42, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:A doleful case desires a doleful song, Without vain art or curious complements.
1591, Edmund Spenser, The Teares of the Muses [The Tears of the Muses]: Polyhymnia:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| complements | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
numeric complement · complementoid · complementarian · complement protein · complementophile · complementopathy · complementize · logical complement · pseudo-complement · complementisation · radix complement · complementization · orthogonal complement · orthocomplement · transcomplement · ten's complement · anticomplement · complementology · symmetric complement · complemental · diminished radix complement · ones' complement · complementologist · two's complement · clausal complement · subject complement · object complement · nines' complement · complement system · full complement · relative pseudo-complement · hypercomplementemia · in complement · complement membrane attack complex
Relateds
counterpart · complete · complementary · compliment
Synonyms
Translations (91)
cs doplněk (9. set theory: relative complement) · es complemento (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · bg допълнение (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · ms komplemen (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · ja 差集合 (9. set theory: relative complement) · ru комплеме́нт (10. one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response) · el σχετικό συμπλήρωμα (9. set theory: relative complement) · hu vonzat (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi komplementti (10. one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response) · tr tümleç (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · cmn 绝对补集 (9. set theory: absolute complement) · it completamento (4. something which complements) · pt complemento (4. something which complements) · bg добавка (4. something which complements) · uk добавка (4. something which complements) · eo komplemento (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi komplementti (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · el συμπλήρωμα (9. set theory: absolute complement) · it complemento assoluto (9. set theory: absolute complement) · de Komplement (4. something which complements) · vi phần bù tuyệt đối (9. set theory: absolute complement) · tl kapuno (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · fi yhden komplementti (14. diminished radix complement of a number) · it insieme complemento (9. set theory: relative complement) · ja 補語 (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi komplementti (13. bit with the opposite value to the given one) · gl ángulo complementario (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · hu tárgykiegészítő (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi kahden komplementti (15. radix complement of a number) · ja 補文 (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · gl complementario (7. interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave) · gl complemento (10. one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response) · it insieme differenza (9. set theory: relative complement) · it complemento (4. something which complements) · fr complète (4. something which complements) · ja 補集合 (9. set theory: absolute complement) · ar مُتَمِّم (4. something which complements) · ja 補部 (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi määre (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · mn гүйцээвэр (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · ro complement (9. set theory: absolute complement) · hu alanykiegészítő (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · ru доба́вка (4. something which complements) · ru ра́зность мно́жеств (9. set theory: relative complement) · ro complementară (9. set theory: absolute complement) · bg допълнение (4. something which complements) · gl complemento (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · uk доповнення (4. something which complements) · ar عُمْدَة (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi vastaväri (8. color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black) · el συμπλήρωμα (7. interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave) · ru дополне́ние (9. set theory: absolute complement) · fi vastaluku (16. numeric complement of a number) · el συμπληρωματικό χρώμα (8. color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black) · fi komplementti (9. set theory: absolute complement) · gv aachione (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · nl complement (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · ru дополне́ние (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · uk доповнення (9. set theory: absolute complement) · hy լրացում (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi predikatiivi (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · hu állandó határozó (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi binäärikomplementti (13. bit with the opposite value to the given one) · ru дополни́тельный цвет (8. color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black) · fi attribuutti (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · pl dopełnienie (9. set theory: absolute complement) · pl dopełnienie (9. set theory: relative complement) · ru дополне́ние (4. something which complements) · tl sihang kapuno (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · gl complemento (4. something which complements) · de Komplement (9. the set containing one set's elements that are not members of the other set) · it angolo complementare (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · vi phần bù tương đối (9. set theory: relative complement) · fi komplementti (11. expression which is true when the other is false, and vice versa) · es complemento (10. one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response) · fi komplementtiväri (8. color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black) · es complemento (4. something which complements) · el συμπλήρωμα (4. something which complements) · uk доповнення множин (9. set theory: relative complement) · ms pelengkap (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · fi täydennysväri (8. color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black) · cmn 相对补集 (9. set theory: relative complement) · cs doplněk (5. word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object) · la complementum (4. something which complements) · el συμπληρωματική γωνία (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · ru дополне́ние до прямо́го угла́ (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · fi täydennys (4. something which complements) · pt ângulo complementar (3. angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle) · gl complementaria (8. color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black) · it insieme complemento (9. set theory: absolute complement) · ru после́довательность комплемента́рных основа́ний (17. nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence)