noun · verb · 34 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/ˈkɒmpləmənt/
General-American:/ˈkɑmpləmənt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
homophone: compliment (in some dialects)
CMU ARPABET:K AA1 M P L AH0 M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The whole working force of a vessel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Something which completes, something which combines with something else to make up a complete whole; loosely, something perceived to be a harmonious or desirable partner or addition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A word or group of words that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A phonetic complement is a graphic element that modifies another, such as (in Linear B script) a small syllabogram that is attached to a logogram as an abbreviation of its reading (as opposed to an adjunct that abbreviates an adjective that modifies that logogram).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
A nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence: adenine (A) by thymine (T) or uracil (U), cytosine (C) by guanine (G), and vice versa.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
From Middle English complement, from Latin complēmentum (“that which fills up or completes”), from compleō (“to fill up; to complete”) (English complete). Doublet of compliment. The verb is from the noun.
See compliment.
Across languages
Translations
118 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
допълнение
(dopǎlnenie)
— something which complements
Bulgarian:
добавка
(dobavka)
— something which complements
Finnish:
täydennys
— something which complements
French:
complète
— something which complements
Galician:
complemento
— something which complements
German:
Komplement
— something which complements
Greek:
συμπλήρωμα
(symplíroma)
— something which complements
Italian:
completamento
— something which complements
Italian:
complemento
— something which complements
Latin:
complementum
— something which complements
Portuguese:
complemento
— something which complements
Russian:
дополне́ние
(dopolnénije)
— something which complements
Russian:
доба́вка
(dobávka)
— something which complements
Spanish:
complemento
— something which complements
Ukrainian:
доповнення
(dopovnennja)
— something which complements
Ukrainian:
добавка
(dobavka)
— something which complements
Finnish:
komplementti
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Galician:
ángulo complementario
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Greek:
συμπληρωματική γωνία
(sympliromatikí gonía)
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Italian:
angolo complementare
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Portuguese:
ângulo complementar
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Russian:
дополне́ние до прямо́го угла́
(dopolnénije do prjamóvo uglá)
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Tagalog:
kapuno
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
Tagalog:
sihang kapuno
— angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle
German:
Komplement
— the set containing one set's elements that are not members of the other set
Chinese Mandarin:
相对补集
(xiāngduì bǔ jí)
— set theory: relative complement
Czech:
doplněk
— set theory: relative complement
Greek:
σχετικό συμπλήρωμα
(schetikó symplíroma)
— set theory: relative complement
Italian:
insieme complemento
— set theory: relative complement
Italian:
insieme differenza
— set theory: relative complement
Japanese:
差集合
(sashūgō)
— set theory: relative complement
Polish:
dopełnienie
— set theory: relative complement
Russian:
ра́зность мно́жеств
(ráznostʹ mnóžestv)
— set theory: relative complement
Ukrainian:
доповнення множин
(dopovnennja množyn)
— set theory: relative complement
Vietnamese:
phần bù tương đối
— set theory: relative complement
Chinese Mandarin:
绝对补集
(juéduì bǔ jí)
— set theory: absolute complement
Finnish:
komplementti
— set theory: absolute complement
Greek:
συμπλήρωμα
(symplíroma)
— set theory: absolute complement
Italian:
insieme complemento
— set theory: absolute complement
Italian:
complemento assoluto
— set theory: absolute complement
Japanese:
補集合
(hoshūgō)
— set theory: absolute complement
Polish:
dopełnienie
— set theory: absolute complement
Romanian:
complementară
— set theory: absolute complement
Romanian:
complement
— set theory: absolute complement
Russian:
дополне́ние
(dopolnénije)
— set theory: absolute complement
Ukrainian:
доповнення
(dopovnennja)
— set theory: absolute complement
Vietnamese:
phần bù tuyệt đối
— set theory: absolute complement
Finnish:
komplementti
— expression which is true when the other is false, and vice versa
Arabic:
عُمْدَة
(ʕumda)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Armenian:
լրացում
(lracʻum)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Bulgarian:
допълнение
(dopǎlnenie)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Czech:
doplněk
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Dutch:
complement
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Esperanto:
komplemento
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Finnish:
määre
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Finnish:
attribuutti
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Finnish:
predikatiivi
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Galician:
complemento
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Hungarian:
alanykiegészítő
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Hungarian:
tárgykiegészítő
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Hungarian:
vonzat
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Hungarian:
állandó határozó
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Japanese:
補部
(hobu)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Japanese:
補語
(hogo)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Japanese:
補文
(hobun)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Malay:
komplemen
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Malay:
pelengkap
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Manx:
aachione
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Mongolian:
гүйцээвэр
(güjceever)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Russian:
дополне́ние
(dopolnénije)
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Turkish:
tümleç
— word or group of words completing the predicate, identified with the subject or object
Finnish:
komplementti
— bit with the opposite value to the given one
Finnish:
binäärikomplementti
— bit with the opposite value to the given one
Finnish:
yhden komplementti
— diminished radix complement of a number
Finnish:
kahden komplementti
— radix complement of a number
Finnish:
vastaluku
— numeric complement of a number
Galician:
complementario
— interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave
Greek:
συμπλήρωμα
(symplíroma)
— interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave
Finnish:
komplementtiväri
— color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black
Finnish:
täydennysväri
— color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black
Finnish:
vastaväri
— color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black
Galician:
complementaria
— color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black
Greek:
συμπληρωματικό χρώμα
(sympliromatikó chróma)
— color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black
Russian:
дополни́тельный цвет
(dopolnítelʹnyj cvet)
— color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black
Russian:
после́довательность комплемента́рных основа́ний
(poslédovatelʹnostʹ komplementárnyx osnovánij)
— nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence
Finnish:
komplementti
— one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response
Galician:
complemento
— one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response
Russian:
комплеме́нт
(komplemént)
— one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response
Spanish:
complemento
— one of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response
Bulgarian:
допълвам
(dopǎlvam)
— to complete
Czech:
doplnit
— to complete
Dutch:
aanvullen
— to complete
Dutch:
volmaken
— to complete
French:
compléter
— to complete
German:
ergänzen
— to complete
German:
komplementieren
— to complete
Greek:
συμπληρώνω
(sympliróno)
— to complete
Hindi:
पूरक
(pūrak)
— to complete
Italian:
completare
— to complete
Portuguese:
completar
— to complete
Russian:
дополня́ть
(dopolnjátʹ)
— to complete
Russian:
допо́лнить
(dopólnitʹ)
— to complete
Spanish:
complementar
— to complete
Turkish:
tamamlama
— to complete
Turkish:
tamamlamak
— to complete
Turkish:
tekmil
— to complete
Turkish:
tekmil etmek
— to complete
Ukrainian:
доповнювати
(dopovnjuvaty)
— to complete
Bulgarian:
допълвам
(dopǎlvam)
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Catalan:
complementar
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Dutch:
aanvullen
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Estonian:
täiendama
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Finnish:
täydentää
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
French:
complémenter
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Greek:
αλληλοσυμπληρώνω
(allilosympliróno)
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Hebrew:
השלים
(hishlím)
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Māori:
kīnaki
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
Spanish:
complementar
— to provide what the partner lacks and lack what the partner provides
