Main Entry: com·ple·men·ta·ry

Pronunciation: \ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē\

Function: adjective

1 : relating to or constituting one of a pair of contrasting colors that produce a neutral color when combined in suitable proportions
2 : characterized by molecular complementarity ; especially : characterized by the capacity for precise pairing of purine and pyrimidine bases between strands of DNA and sometimes RNA such that the structure of one strand determines the other

—com·ple·men·ta·ri·ly \-ˈmen-trə-lē, -(ˌ)men-ˈter-ə-lē, -ˈment-ə-rə-lē\ adverb

—com·ple·men·ta·ri·ness \-ˈment-ə-rē-nəs, -ˈmen-trē-\ noun