complement
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Related to complement: compliment, Complement system
complement
Complements are words or groups of words that are necessary to complete the meaning of another part of the sentence. Complements act like modifiers to add additional meaning to the word or words they are attached to. However, unlike adjunct modifiers, they do not add supplemental information—they provide information that is necessary to achieve the intended meaning in the sentence.
Complements, even those that complete the meaning of the subject, are always part of the predicate.
complement
something that completes or brings to perfection: Wine complements a dinner.
Not to be confused with:
compliment – an expression of admiration; praise; regards: My compliments to the chef.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
com·ple·ment
(kŏm′plə-mənt)n.
1.
a. Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection: a sauce that is a fine complement to fish.
b. The quantity or number needed to make up a whole: shelves with a full complement of books.
c. The full crew of personnel required to run a ship.
d. Either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other.
2. An angle related to another so that the sum of their measures is 90°.
3. Grammar A word or words used to complete a predicate construction, especially the object or indirect object of a verb, for example, the phrase to eat ice cream in We like to eat ice cream.
4. Music An interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval.
5. Immunology A complex system of proteins found in blood plasma that are sequentially activated and play various roles in the immune response, including lysing bacterial cell membranes, making pathogens more susceptible to phagocytes, and recruiting inflammatory cells to sites of infection or injury. Also called alexin.
6. Mathematics & Logic For a universal set, the set of all elements in the set that are not in a specified subset.
7. A complementary color.
tr.v. (-mĕnt′) com·ple·ment·ed, com·ple·ment·ing, com·ple·ments
To serve as a complement to: Roses in a silver bowl complement the handsome cherry table.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin complēmentum, from complēre, to fill out; see complete.]
Usage Note: Complement and compliment, though quite distinct in meaning, are sometimes confused because they are pronounced the same. As a noun, complement means "something that completes or brings to perfection" (The antique silver was a complement to the beautifully set table); used as a verb it means "to serve as a complement to." The noun compliment means "an expression or act of courtesy or praise" (They gave us a compliment on our beautifully set table), while the verb means "to pay a compliment to."
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
complement
n
1. a person or thing that completes something
2. one of two parts that make up a whole or complete each other
3. a complete amount, number, etc (often in the phrase full complement)
4. (Nautical Terms) the officers and crew needed to man a ship
5. (Grammar) grammar
a. a noun phrase that follows a copula or similar verb, as for example an idiot in the sentence He is an idiot
b. 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
6. (Mathematics) maths the angle that, when added to a specified angle, produces a right angle
7. (Logic) 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
8. (Mathematics) 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
9. (Music, other) music the inverted form of an interval that, when added to the interval, completes the octave: the sixth is the complement of the third.
10. (Microbiology) immunol a group of proteins in the blood serum that, when activated by antibodies, causes destruction of alien cells, such as bacteria
vb
(tr) to add to, make complete, or form a complement to
[C14: from Latin complēmentum, from complēre to fill up, from com- (intensive) + plēre to fill]
Usage: Avoid confusion with compliment
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
com•ple•ment
(n. ˈkɒm plə mənt; v. -ˌmɛnt)n.
1. something that completes or makes perfect: A good wine is a complement to a good meal.
2. the quantity or amount that completes anything: We now have a full complement of bridge players.
3. either of two parts or things needed to complete the whole; counterpart.
4. the full number of officers and crew required on a ship.
5.
a. 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 him president. Compare object complement, subject complement.
b. any word or group of words used to complete a grammatical construction, esp. in the predicate, including adverbials, infinitives, and sometimes objects.
6. the quantity by which an angle or an arc falls short of 90° or a quarter of a circle. Compare supplement (def. 3).
7. Math. the set of all the elements of a universal set not included in a given set.
8. a musical interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval.
9.
v.t. a. a set of about 20 proteins that circulate in the blood and react in various combinations to promote the destruction of any cell displaying foreign surfaces or immune complexes.
b. any of the proteins in the complement system, designated C1, C2, etc.
11. to complete; form a complement to.
12. Obs. to compliment.
v.i. 13. Obs. to compliment.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin complēmentum something that completes]
com′ple•ment`er, n.
syn: complement, supplement both mean to make additions to something; a lack or deficiency is implied. To complement means to complete or perfect a whole; it often refers to putting together two things, each of which supplies what is lacking in the other: Statements from different points of view may complement each other. To supplement is to add something in order to enhance, extend, or improve a whole: Some additional remarks supplemented the sales presentation.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
com·ple·ment
(kŏm′plə-mənt)1. A system of proteins found in the serum of the blood that helps antibodies destroy disease-causing bacteria or other foreign substances, especially antigens.
2. A complementary color.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Complement
the full amount; a set; the total number of personnel of a ship or military establishment; a cargo; the amount needed to fill a conveyance.Example: complement of cloves, 1697.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
complement
– complimentThese words can both be verbs or nouns. When they are verbs, they are pronounced /'kɒmplɪment/. When they are nouns, they are pronounced /'kɒmplɪmənt/.
1. 'complement'
If one thing complements another, the two things increase each other's good qualities when they are brought together.
Nutmeg, parsley and cider all complement the flavour of these beans well.
Current advances in hardware development nicely complement British software skills.
2. 'compliment'
If you compliment someone, you tell them that you admire something that they have or something that they have done.
They complimented me on the way I looked.
She is to be complimented for handling the situation so well.
A compliment is something that you do or say to someone to show your admiration for them.
She took his acceptance as a great compliment.
You say that you pay someone a compliment.
He knew that he had just been paid a great compliment.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
complement
Past participle: complemented
Gerund: complementing
| Imperative |
|---|
| complement |
| complement |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
complement
1. A word or group of words that follows a verb and completes a predicate.
2. Proteins in blood plasma activated by and helping to dissolve foreign cells such as bacteria.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | complement - a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction grammatical construction, construction, expression - a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit; "I concluded from his awkward constructions that he was a foreigner" |
| 2. | complement - a complete number or quantity; "a full complement" count - the total number counted; "a blood count" | |
| 3. | complement - number needed to make up a whole force; "a full complement of workers" ship's company, company - crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship | |
| 4. | complement - something added to complete or embellish or make perfect; "a fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner"; "wild rice was served as an accompaniment to the main dish" adjunct - something added to another thing but not an essential part of it | |
| 5. | complement - one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response immune reaction, immune response, immunologic response - a bodily defense reaction that recognizes an invading substance (an antigen: such as a virus or fungus or bacteria or transplanted organ) and produces antibodies specific against that antigen enzyme - any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions | |
| 6. | complement - either of two parts that mutually complete each other counterpart, opposite number, vis-a-vis - a person or thing having the same function or characteristics as another | |
| Verb | 1. | complement - 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" balance, equilibrise, equilibrize, equilibrate - bring into balance or equilibrium; "She has to balance work and her domestic duties"; "balance the two weights" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
complement
verb
noun
1. accompaniment, companion, accessory, completion, finishing touch, rounding-off, adjunct, supplement The green wallpaper is the perfect complement to the old pine of the dresser.
2. total, capacity, quota, aggregate, contingent, entirety Each ship had a complement of around a dozen officers and 250 men.
Usage: This is sometimes confused with compliment but the two words have very different meanings. As the synonyms show, the verb form of complement means `to enhance' and `to complete' something. In contrast, common synonyms of compliment as a verb are praise, commend, and flatter.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
complement
noun1. Something that completes another:
2. Something added to another for embellishment or completion:
To supply what is lacking:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
عَد مُكَمِّلكَلِمَه مُتَمِّمَه للخَبَريُكَمِّل، يَمْلأ
doplněkdoplnitdoplnění
fylde oppredikativpredikatsordsupplementtillæg
täiendama
attribuuttibinäärikomplementtikahden komplementtikomplementtikomplementtiväri
להשלים
állítmánykiegészítõteljes szám
full tala, tilætlaîur fjöldifyllasagnfylling
差集合補集合
komplektaskomplektavimaspapildantispapildytisukomplektavimas
papildinājumspapildinātpapildinātājs
dopolnilodopolnjevati se
tamamlamaktamamlayıcı şeytamlayıcıtümleç
complement
A. [ˈkɒmplɪmənt] N
1. (gen) → complemento m
to be a complement to → complementar a
this wine is the perfect complement to smoked salmon → este vino complementa perfectamente al salmón ahumado
to be a complement to → complementar a
this wine is the perfect complement to smoked salmon → este vino complementa perfectamente al salmón ahumado
B. [ˈkɒmplɪment] VT → complementar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
complement
[ˈkɒmplɪmənt] n (= total number) [staff] → effectif m
The borough will be 100 teachers short of a full complement of 2,500 → La municipalité aura 100 professeurs manquants par rapport à un effectif total de 2,500.
to have the full complement of sth (= proper number or amount) → avoir la totalité de qch
They did not have the full complement of 11 players on the pitch → Ils n'avaient pas la totalité des onze joueurs sur le terrain.
The borough will be 100 teachers short of a full complement of 2,500 → La municipalité aura 100 professeurs manquants par rapport à un effectif total de 2,500.
to have the full complement of sth (= proper number or amount) → avoir la totalité de qch
They did not have the full complement of 11 players on the pitch → Ils n'avaient pas la totalité des onze joueurs sur le terrain.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
complement
n
(= addition) → Ergänzung f (→ to +gen); (to perfect sth) → Vervollkommnung f (→ to +gen); (= colour) → Komplementärfarbe f → (to zu)
(= full number) → volle Stärke; (= crew of ship) → Besatzung f; the battalion didn’t have its full complement of soldiers → das Bataillon hatte seine Sollstärke nicht; we’ve got our full complement in the office now → unser Büro ist jetzt komplett or voll besetzt
(Gram) → Ergänzung f
(Math: = angle) → Ergänzungswinkel m
vt
(= add to) → ergänzen; (= make perfect) → vervollkommnen, abrunden; (colour) → herausbringen; to complement each other → sich ergänzen; (colours) → aufeinander abgestimmt sein
(Math) → zu 90° ergänzen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
complement
[n ˈkɒmplɪmənt; vb ˈkɒmplɪˌmɛnt]1. n
a. (gen) (Gram, Math) → complemento
b. (staff, crew) → effettivo
2. vt (enhance) → accompagnarsi bene a, completare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
complement
(ˈkompləmənt) noun1. in a sentence, the words of the predicate, not including the verb.
2. (something added to make) a complete number or amount.
verb to complete, fill up.
compleˈmentary adjective the complement (not compliment) of a verb.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
com·ple·ment
n. complemento, sustancia proteínica presente en el plasma que destruye las bacterias y las células con que se pone en contacto.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
complement
n complementoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.