complementary

adjective

com·​ple·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
1
: serving to fill out or complete
… their economies are more complementary than competitive …William Petersen
2
: mutually supplying each other's lack
… the complementary relationship that binds the two.Colin S. Gray
3
: 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
complementarily
ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rə-lē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
-(ˌ)men-ˈter-ə-lē
-ˈta-rə-
adverb
complementariness noun
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. 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 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of complementary was in 1829

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 How to pronounce complementary (audio)
-ˈmen-trē
: forming or serving as a complement

Medical Definition

complementary

adjective
com·​ple·​men·​ta·​ry ˌkäm-plə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē How to pronounce complementary (audio)
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
complementariness noun

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