complement
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Number needed to make up a whole force.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kahmpluhmuhntSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkɑmpləmənt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
nautical
Number needed to make up a whole force
nautical
The whole working force of a vessel.
Something added to complete or embellish or make perfect
“A fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner.”
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.
The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.
astronomygeometry
An angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle.
verb
Make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
“I need some pepper to complement the sweet touch in the soup.”
To complete, to bring to perfection, to make whole.
To change a voltage, number, color, etc. to its complement.
To provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides, thus forming part of a whole.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Number needed to make up a whole force
Used this way, complement is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a nautical use: it is standard at sea and largely unfamiliar ashore.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Sailing/maritime
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Addednoun
“A fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner.”
Make / completeverb
“I need some pepper to complement the sweet touch in the soup.”
More ways to use complement
- “A fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner.”noun
- “I need some pepper to complement the sweet touch in the soup.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Added / completes
Phonetic / given
Word
Other combinations
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Acting according to certain accepted standards.
A remark (or act) expressing praise and admiration.
Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
An immune response in which an antigen-antibody combination inactivates a complement (so it is unavailable to participate in a second antigen-antibody combination).
A blood test in which a sample of serum is exposed to a particular antigen and complement in order to determine whether or not antibodies to that particular antigen are present.
Number needed to make up a whole force.
Commonly Confused With
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.