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You know what it looks like… but what is it called?
TAKE THE QUIZcomplementary
adjective
com·ple·men·ta·ry
ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē 
1
: serving to fill out or complete
… their economies are more complementary than competitive …—
William Petersen
William Petersen2
: mutually supplying each other's lack
… the complementary relationship that binds the two.—Colin S. Gray
Colin S. Gray3
: relating to or constituting one of a pair of contrasting colors that produce a neutral color when combined in suitable proportions
4
: being complements of each other
complementary acute angles
5
: 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
6
: of, relating to, or based on complementary medicine
Cancer, for example, might be treated by blending the best of the Western medicine … with complementary approaches that could include … acupuncture, nutrition, herbs and massage.—Julie Deardorff
Julie Deardorff
complementary
noun
Example Sentences
… hot and sour soup encapsulates the Taoist principle central to Chinese culture: yin and yang, the notion of balancing the universe's opposing yet complementary forces.
—Rebecca Hays, Cook's Illustrated, January & February 2006
Once Austin got used to what he had on, Jerry was going to talk him into a neck scarf of complementary colors and a cream pullover.
—Alice Munro, Atlantic, January 1990
Vann and Ellsberg were the odd couple, difficult men from different worlds satisfying complementary needs in each other.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
… it was becoming more and more clear to him that Miss Bart herself possessed precisely the complementary qualities needed to round off his social personality.
—Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905
She wore a new outfit with a complementary scarf.
My spouse and I have complementary goals.
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Rebecca Hays, Cook's Illustrated, January & February 2006
Once Austin got used to what he had on, Jerry was going to talk him into a neck scarf of complementary colors and a cream pullover.
—Alice Munro, Atlantic, January 1990
Vann and Ellsberg were the odd couple, difficult men from different worlds satisfying complementary needs in each other.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
… it was becoming more and more clear to him that Miss Bart herself possessed precisely the complementary qualities needed to round off his social personality.
—Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905
She wore a new outfit with a complementary scarf.
My spouse and I have complementary goals.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Black walnut has long been used in complementary and alternative medicine.
—Brittany Lubeck, Rd, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2023
But if the trajectory goes in a different direction, and becomes human complementary, who knows?
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023
Several developments seek to augment the city’s production boom, with services that are complementary and additive, as well as facilities that provide for future demand.
—Brent Simon, Variety, 8 Mar. 2023
According to surveys from the American Hospital Association, in 1998, just 8 percent of hospitals offered complementary and alternative-medicine services.
—Matthew Hongoltz-hetling, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2023
Second, understand the key components of an effective TCM model and identify best-in-class solutions to address these—ideally, via a unified or complementary patient interface.
—Darshak Sanghavi, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
Wen: There are physicians, nurses and other medical professionals who specialize in hospice and palliative medicine; these are very much complementary and related fields of medicine that share a similar philosophy.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 20 Feb. 2023
Prince William and Kate Middleton are ever complementary — down to their outfits.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Jan. 2023
Here, designer Jessie Schuster reupholstered a pair of vintage chairs in a Clarence House tiger pattern for one fabulous, yet complementary, scheme.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 29 Dec. 2022
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Brittany Lubeck, Rd, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2023
But if the trajectory goes in a different direction, and becomes human complementary, who knows?
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023
Several developments seek to augment the city’s production boom, with services that are complementary and additive, as well as facilities that provide for future demand.
—Brent Simon, Variety, 8 Mar. 2023
According to surveys from the American Hospital Association, in 1998, just 8 percent of hospitals offered complementary and alternative-medicine services.
—Matthew Hongoltz-hetling, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2023
Second, understand the key components of an effective TCM model and identify best-in-class solutions to address these—ideally, via a unified or complementary patient interface.
—Darshak Sanghavi, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
Wen: There are physicians, nurses and other medical professionals who specialize in hospice and palliative medicine; these are very much complementary and related fields of medicine that share a similar philosophy.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 20 Feb. 2023
Prince William and Kate Middleton are ever complementary — down to their outfits.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Jan. 2023
Here, designer Jessie Schuster reupholstered a pair of vintage chairs in a Clarence House tiger pattern for one fabulous, yet complementary, scheme.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 29 Dec. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'complementary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
complement entry 1 + -ary entry 2, probably in part after French complémentaire
First Known Use
1829, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Phrases Containing complementary
Articles Related to complementary
Dictionary Entries Near complementary
Cite this Entry
“Complementary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complementary. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.
Kids Definition
complementary
adjective
com·ple·men·ta·ry
ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
: forming or serving as a complement
Medical Definition
complementary
adjective
com·ple·men·ta·ry
ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē
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
More from Merriam-Webster on complementary
Nglish: Translation of complementary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of complementary for Arabic Speakers
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