Complement: meaning, definitions and examples

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complement

[ ˈkɒmplɪmənt ]

^{Context #1}

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}

linguistics

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

Synonyms

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.