Phrase guide

complementary medicine

noun · 2 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.

  • kŏm′plə-mĕn′t(ə)rē mĕd′ĭ-sĭn
  • Received-Pronunciation, contemporary: /ˌkɒm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹiː ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɒm.pləˌmen.t(ə)ɹiː ˈmed.ɪ.sɪn/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɔːm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹiː ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/ conservative
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɔːm.pləˌmen.t(ə)ɹiː ˈmed.ɪ.sɪn/
  • General-American: /ˌkɔm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹi ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/ without the cot–caught merger
  • General-American, cot-caught-merger: /ˌkɑm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹi ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
  • Canada, standard: /ˌkɒm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹi ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
  • Canada, dialectal: /ˌkɑm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹi ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
  • Australian: /ˌkɔm.pləˌmen.t(ə)ɹiː ˈmed.ɪ.sɪn/
  • New-Zealand: /ˌkɒm.pləˌmen.t(ə)ɹiː ˈmed.ə.sən/
  • Scotland: /ˌkɔm.pləˌmɛn.t(ə)ɹi ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
  • Scotland: /ˌkɔm.plʌˌmɛn.t(ʌ)ɹi ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
  • India: /ˌkɔm.pleˌmɛ(ː)n.ʈ(a)ɾiː ˈmɛ(ː)ɖ.ɪ.sɪn/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of several therapies that complement (augment) scientific medical practices with those of alternative medicine such as acupuncture or homeopathy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Meronyms: (it contains these as parts) alternative medicine, functional medicine, folk medicine, traditional medicine, indigenous medicine, herbal medicine

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: integrative medicine, alternative medicine

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the practice of medicine that combines traditional medicine with alternative medicine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: medicine, practice of medicine

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 補充醫學 /补充医学 (bǔchōng yīxué) — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy
  • Dutch: complementaire geneeskunde — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy
  • Finnish: täydentävä lääketiede — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy
  • German: Komplementärmedizin — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy
  • Hungarian: integratív medicina — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy
  • Hungarian: integratív orvoslás — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy
  • Polish: medycyna komplementarna — the combination of mainstream medicine and alternative medicine as therapy