Complement: meaning, definitions and examples

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complement

 

[ ˈkɒmplɪmənt ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

mathematics

A number added to another number to make a specific sum.

Synonyms

addition, supplement

Examples of usage

  • In the equation 5 + x = 10, x is the complement of 5.
  • The complement of 12 is -12 in order to make the sum 0.
Context #2 | Noun

linguistics

A word or phrase that completes the meaning of another element in a sentence.

Examples of usage

  • In the sentence 'She is very talented,' 'very talented' is the complement of 'She.'
  • The complement of a verb can be a noun, pronoun, or adjective.

Translations

Translations of the word "complement" in other languages:

🇵🇹 complemento

🇮🇳 पूरक

🇩🇪 Ergänzung

🇮🇩 pelengkap

🇺🇦 доповнення

🇵🇱 uzupełnienie

🇯🇵 補完

🇫🇷 complément

🇪🇸 complemento

🇹🇷 tamamlayıcı

🇰🇷 보완

🇸🇦 مكمل

🇨🇿 doplňek

🇸🇰 doplnok

🇨🇳 补充

🇸🇮 dopolnilo

🇮🇸 viðbót

🇰🇿 толықтыру

🇬🇪 დამატება

🇦🇿 tamamlayıcı

🇲🇽 complemento

Word origin

The word 'complement' originated from Latin 'complementum,' meaning 'that which fills up or completes.' It entered the English language in the late 14th century. In mathematics, the term 'complement' was first used in the 17th century to refer to a number added to another to make a specific sum. In linguistics, the concept of complements has been studied extensively since the 20th century.

See also: complementary.

Word Frequency Rank

At #5,919 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.