Definition of complement - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
enhanceadd to something in a way that enhances or improves it
- A fine wine can complement a good meal..
2.
completemake something whole or perfect
- The sauce complements the dish perfectly.
3.
inverse valueTECH. convert a voltage or number into its matching inverse valueTECH.
- The circuit complements the input signal.
Noun
1.
fits togethersomething that completes or makes perfect
- The scarf is a perfect complement to her outfit.
2.
linguisticsTECH. word or phrase completing a grammatical constructionTECH.
- In 'She is happy', 'happy' is the complement.
3.
mathematicsTECH. angle adding to another to make 90 degreesTECH.
- The two angles are complements in the triangle.
4.
maritimeTECH. full crew needed to operate a shipTECH.
- The ship set sail with a full complement.
5.
medicalTECH. proteins in blood aiding immune responseTECH.
- The complement system helps fight infections.
6.
opticsTECH. color combining with another to make white or blackTECH.
- Blue is the complement of orange in color theory.
Expressions with complement
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
entire number of items or people needed for a purpose
The ship sailed with its full complement of crew.
total number of staff members in an organization
The hospital increased its staff complement to handle more patients.
total number of staff in an organization
The personnel complement of the company is 150 employees.
group of blood proteins helping the body fight infections
The complement system helps destroy bacteria in the blood.
immune response where antigen-antibody complex inactivates complement
Complement fixation is used in diagnostic tests for infections.
immunological test detecting antibodies by complement binding
The complement fixation reaction confirmed the presence of the virus.
digit-by-digit subtraction method giving nine minus each digit
The nine's complement of 456 is 543.
set of rollers in a bearing or machine
The roller complement in the bearing needs replacement.
method for representing signed numbers in binary form
Two's complement is used in most computer systems.
serum procedure using antigen plus complement to identify antibodies or antigen
The doctor ordered a complement fixation test to check for certain infections.
Origin of complement
Latin, complementum (something that completes)
Terms with complement included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
complement of be
complement of the copula be
adjective complement
introducing a clause complementing an adjective
food
accompanying dish to complement the main course
harmony
having qualities that complement each other
complement
things that are different can complement each other
complementary combination
combination of two items that complement each other
music
sing or play notes that complement each other
funding
provide funds to complement another amount
fashion
organize colors to match or complement each other
linguistics
verb that connects subject with a complement
addition
serving as a complement
fashion
match or complement in color
set theory
principles for complement of unions and intersections
mathematics
having an open complement in topology
sports
long racing shell crewed by a full complement of sweep rowers
equating verb
verb linking subject with complement
linguistics
elide the complement in a wh-question
medical
immune body linking complement to antigen
immune testing
agglutination of antigen antibody and complement
linguistics
describing verbs taking a result complement and direct object
complement
pair of items that complement each other
medical
antibody test for syphilis using complement fixation
abr: Complement component 3
protein helping immune system fight germs
immune protein
complement system element that drives inflammation and helps fight infection
Examples of complement in a sentence
The new curtains complement the room's decor. The wine complements the cheese nicely. Her scarf complements her outfit beautifully. The system complements the binary code. This function complements the original value. The wine was a fine complement to the meal.
His skills are a great complement to the team. In 'He became a doctor', 'a doctor' is the complement. The complement in the sentence adds clarity to the meaning. Find the complement of a 37-degree angle. Each angle is the complement of the other. The vessel couldn't leave port without its full complement. A complement of sailors ensured the ship's smooth operation. Complement proteins are vital in immune defense. Doctors study complement levels in autoimmune diseases. An artist paired yellow with its complement, violet. The designer chose complementary colors, using each complement carefully.
View all translations of complement
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:compléter, complément, ...
- German:ergänzen, Komplement, ...
- Italian:complementare, complemento, ...
- Spanish:mejorar, complemento, ...
- Portuguese:enriquecer, complemento, ...
- Chinese:补充, 配件, ...
- Japanese:引き立てる, 補完物, ...
- Arabic:كمل, مُكَمِّل, ...
- Hebrew:לְהַשְׁלִים, הַשְׁלָמָה, ...
- Russian:дополнять, дополнение, ...
- Ukrainian:доповнювати, доповнення, ...
- Hindi:पूरक होना, पूरक, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the