Dictionary

complimentary en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• kŏm'plĭ-mĕnʹtə-rē (General-American)
• /ˌkɑmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (General-American)
• /ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• -trē (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From compliment (noun) + -ary. Piecewise doublet of complementary.

Meanings

1. In the nature of a compliment.
   • a complimentary remark
   • But yesterday evening late, when Lewis arrived from down town he found his supper spread, and some presents of books there, with very complimentary writings on the fly-leaves, and certain very complimentary letters, and more or less greenbacks of dignified denomination pinned to those letters and fly-leaves... 1877 August 25, Mark Twain, The Letters of Mark Twain, volume 3,2004, page 56:
2. Free; provided at no charge.
   • In the evenings, Ward and PJ offer guests a complimentary drink. This gesture seems to reinforce the hosts' desire to make everyone feel welcome. 2005, Vivien Lougheed, Belize Pocket Adventures, page 65:
   • complimentary drinks
3. With respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional.
   • The complimentary closing is the word grouping used to bring the message or text to a close. 2003, Richard H. Beatty, The Perfect Cover Letter:

Forms

Antonyms

uncomplimentary

Deriveds

complimentarily · complimentariness · overcomplimentary · noncomplimentary

Synonyms

free · gratuitous · free of charge · chargeless · complimentary · free of charge · gratis · costless

Translations (63)

ro de felicitare (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · tr bedava (free; provided at no charge) · hu levélzáradék (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · hu elismerő (in the nature of a compliment) · gl lisonjeiro (in the nature of a compliment) · cmn 问候的 (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · fr flatteur (in the nature of a compliment) · fr laudatif (in the nature of a compliment) · es de regalo (free; provided at no charge) · af vleiende (in the nature of a compliment) · hu ingyenes (free; provided at no charge) · cy rhadlon (free; provided at no charge) · fi ilmainen (free; provided at no charge) · eu osagarriak (in the nature of a compliment) · ru ле́стный (in the nature of a compliment) · cmn 赞美的 (in the nature of a compliment) · cmn 免费赠送的 (free; provided at no charge) · bg безплатен (free; provided at no charge) · cy am ddim (free; provided at no charge) · fr gratuit (free; provided at no charge) · de schmeichelnd (in the nature of a compliment) · sv komplimenterande (in the nature of a compliment) · eo komplimenta (in the nature of a compliment) · cy canmoliaethus (in the nature of a compliment) · fi kohtelias (in the nature of a compliment) · hu záró (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · bg гратис (free; provided at no charge) · es lisonjero (in the nature of a compliment) · tl nakakabigay-puri (in the nature of a compliment) · pl darmowy (free; provided at no charge) · cy clodforus (in the nature of a compliment) · tr mültefit (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · fi imarteleva (in the nature of a compliment) · bg ласкателен (in the nature of a compliment) · pl nieodpłatny (free; provided at no charge) · hu bókoló (in the nature of a compliment) · hu elköszönő (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · ar إِطْرَائِيّ (in the nature of a compliment) · tr iltifatkâr (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · es de obsequio (free; provided at no charge) · bg поздравителен (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · de bauchpinselnd (in the nature of a compliment) · nl vleiend (in the nature of a compliment) · de kostenlos (free; provided at no charge) · hu levélzárás (with respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional) · bg хвалебствен (in the nature of a compliment) · hu tisztelet- (free; provided at no charge) · sv komplimentär (in the nature of a compliment) · ru беспла́тный (free; provided at no charge) · ro laudativ (in the nature of a compliment) · hu ajándék (free; provided at no charge) · ro măgulitor (in the nature of a compliment) · lv glaimojošs (in the nature of a compliment) · ko 아첨하는 (in the nature of a compliment) · de gratis (free; provided at no charge) · hu dicsérő (in the nature of a compliment) · pt lisonjeiro (in the nature of a compliment) · sv kostnadsfri (free; provided at no charge) · el κολακευτικός (in the nature of a compliment) · fi vapaa- (free; provided at no charge) · hu hízelgő (in the nature of a compliment) · tr ücretsiz (free; provided at no charge) · ro gratuit (free; provided at no charge)