complimentary

adjective

com·​pli·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē 

1

a

: expressing praise or admiration : expressing or containing a compliment

a complimentary remark

b

: favorable

the novel received complimentary reviews

2

: given free as a courtesy or favor

complimentary tickets

complimentarily

ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rə-lē  -(ˌ)men-ˈter-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of complimentary

• favorable
• positive
• good

Examples of complimentary in a Sentence

Furtado is as complimentary about Elliott's manicure … as she is about Elliott's business acumen. —David A. Keeps, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2001

In the bar that evening I at last had the Holiday Inn's complimentary drink, "Tropical Aura." —V. S. Naipaul, Among the Believers, 1981

Wilbur had been feeling dizzier and dizzier through this long, complimentary speech. When he heard the crowd begin to cheer and clap again, he suddenly fainted away. —E. B. White, Charlotte's Web, 1952

She made complimentary remarks about his work.

They handed out complimentary brochures.

The restaurant offers valet parking as a complimentary service.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also The Studio, which offers a wide array of classes, one of which is complimentary to overnight guests on a daily basis. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026

Those are some very complimentary terms to describe a Major League Baseball player. — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Property owners can be reimbursed up to $125 for a toilet replacement and take home complimentary water-saving devices. — Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026

Betterment also offers traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs, plus complimentary support from its Licensed Concierge team for customers considering moving $20,000 or more to a Betterment IRA. — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

compliment entry 1 + -ary entry 2

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing complimentary

• complimentary close

Rhymes for complimentary

• alimentary
• documentary
• parliamentary
• rudimentary
• sedimentary
• supplementary
• testamentary
• integumentary
• uncomplimentary
• unparliamentary
• interparliamentary
• metasedimentary

Kids Definition

complimentary

adjective

com·​pli·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē 

-ˈmen-trē

1

: expressing or containing a compliment

a complimentary remark

2

: given free as a courtesy or favor

complimentary tickets