Standard Lemma guide

complementarity

noun · 5 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌkɒmpləmɛnˈtæɹɪti/
  • /ˌkɒmpləmɛnˈtɛəɹɪti/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state or characteristic of being complementary.

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

A semantic relationship between two words wherein negative use of one entails the affirmative of the other with no gradability; the relation of binary antonyms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, philosophy, sciences, semantics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The idea that physical phenomena may have (mutually contradictory) properties that cannot be observed simultaneously (e.g. wave-particle duality).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the interrelation of reciprocity whereby one thing supplements or depends on the other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the complementarity of the sexes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reciprocality, reciprocity

5

noun

Meaning 5

a relation between two opposite states or principles that together exhaust the possibilities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ungradable opposition

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English complementary Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English complementarity From complementary + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: узаемазамяняльнасць (uzajemazamjanjalʹnascʹ) — state of being complementary
  • Catalan: complementarietat — state of being complementary
  • Dutch: complementariteit — state of being complementary
  • Finnish: täydentävyys — state of being complementary
  • Finnish: komplementaarisuus — state of being complementary
  • French: complémentarité — state of being complementary
  • Italian: complementarità — state of being complementary
  • Polish: komplementarność — state of being complementary
  • Portuguese: complementaridade — state of being complementary
  • Romanian: complementaritate — state of being complementary
  • Russian: взаимозаменя́емость (vzaimozamenjájemostʹ) — state of being complementary