Dictionary

complementary en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Canada)
• kŏm'plĭ-mĕnʹtə-rē (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˌkɑmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• -trē (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From complement + -ary. Piecewise doublet of complimentary.

Meanings

1. Acting as a complement; making up a whole with something else.
   • Using the terminology we introduced earlier, we might then say that black and white squares are in complementary distribution on a chessboard. By this we mean two things: firstly, black squares and white squares occupy different positions on the board: and secondly, the black and white squares complement each other in the sense that the black squares together with the white squares comprise the total set of 64 squares found on the board (i.e. there is no square on the board which is not either black or white). 1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 140:
   • The two business partners had complementary abilities: one had excellent people skills, while the other had a head for figures.
   • I'll provide you with some complementary notes to help you study.
2. Of the specific pairings of the bases in DNA and RNA.
3. Pertaining to pairs of properties in quantum mechanics that are inversely related to each other, such as speed and position, or energy and time. (See also Heisenberg uncertainty principle.)

Forms

Deriveds

noncomplementary (single words) · color (Multiword expressions) · complementary studies (Multiword expressions) · complementarity (single words) · complementary distribution (Multiword expressions) · complementary good (Multiword expressions) · anticomplementary (single words) · complementariness (Multiword expressions) · complementary angle (Multiword expressions) · complementary nondeterministic polynomial (Multiword expressions) · complementary function (Multiword expressions) · complementary region (Multiword expressions) · intercomplementary (Multiword expressions) · complementary colour (Multiword expressions) · intercomplementary (single words) · complementary medicine (Multiword expressions) · complementarily (single words) · enantiocomplementary (single words) · complementary allophone (Multiword expressions) · complementary DNA (Multiword expressions) · complementary antonym (Multiword expressions) · complementary angles (Multiword expressions) · complementariness (single words)

Relateds

complemental

Translations (39)

ast complementariu (acting as a complement) · pt complementar (acting as a complement) · sv fullständigande (acting as a complement) · nl complementair (acting as a complement) · kmr tewawker (acting as a complement) · de einander ergänzend (acting as a complement) · pt complementário (acting as a complement) · ro complementar (acting as a complement) · de komplementär (acting as a complement) · nl aanvullend (acting as a complement) · fi komplementaarinen (acting as a complement) · de sich ergänzend (acting as a complement) · de Hilfs- (acting as a complement) · ru дополняющий (acting as a complement) · fi täydentävä (acting as a complement) · de ergänzend (acting as a complement) · es complementario (acting as a complement) · de Ergänzungs- (acting as a complement) · de Bei- (acting as a complement) · id komplementer (acting as a complement) · bg допълнителен (acting as a complement) · gl complementario (acting as a complement) · de Ausgleichs- (acting as a complement) · de sich gegenseitig ergänzend (acting as a complement) · ca complementari (acting as a complement) · hu komplementer (acting as a complement) · fr complémentaire (acting as a complement) · la complēmentārius (acting as a complement) · de Zusatz- (acting as a complement) · kmr temamker (acting as a complement) · eo komplementa (acting as a complement) · hu kiegészítő (acting as a complement) · pl komplementarny (of the specific pairings of the bases in DNA and RNA) · pl komplementarny (acting as a complement) · sv komplementär (acting as a complement) · de Gegen- (acting as a complement) · de Komplementär- (acting as a complement) · de Komplement- (acting as a complement) · de Neben- (acting as a complement)

complementary en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Canada)
• kŏm'plĭ-mĕnʹtə-rē (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˌkɑmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• /ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• -trē (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From complement + -ary. Piecewise doublet of complimentary.

Meanings

1. A complementary colour.
2. (obsolete) One skilled in compliments.
   • the hands of the most skilful and cunning complementaries alive 1600 (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC:
3. An angle which adds with another to equal ninety degrees.

Forms

Translations (3)

pl dopełnienie (a complementary (i.e. colour or angle)) · de Komplementär (a complementary (i.e. colour or angle)) · de Ergänzung (a complementary (i.e. colour or angle))