complement
noun/ˈkɒmplɪmənt/
/ˈkɑːmplɪmənt/
- complement (to something) a thing that adds new qualities to something in a way that improves it or makes it more attractive
- This vegetable's natural sweetness is a perfect complement to salty or rich foods.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- ideal
- natural
- …
- complement to
- the complete number or quantity needed or allowed
- We've taken our full complement of trainees this year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- full
- large
- normal
- …
- take
- complement of
- (grammar) a word or phrase, especially an adjective or a noun, that is used after linking verbs such as be and become, and describes the subject of the verb. In some descriptions of grammar it is used to refer to any word or phrase that is governed by a verb and usually comes after the verb in a sentence.
- In the sentences ‘I'm angry’ and ‘He became a politician’, ‘angry’ and ‘politician’ are complements.
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘completion’): from Latin complementum, from complere ‘fill up’, from com- (expressing intensive force) + plere ‘fill’. Compare with compliment.
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complement