Complement shares its first two syllables with the word complete, and its meanings relate to completion, as in "a tangy sauce that complements the rich dessert" and "artwork that is a perfect complement to …

A complement is part of a word or phrase that completes the predicate (= the part of a sentence that gives information about the subject), as “nothing” in “They told him nothing.”

To complement is to provide something felt to be lacking or needed; it is often applied to putting together two things, each of which supplies what is lacking in the other, to make a complete whole: Two …

Complement comes from the Latin complementum, "something that fills up or completes." Complement keeps both the e and the meaning. It's also a verb; if you and your partner complement each other, …

Jan 16, 2026 · complement (third-person singular simple present complements, present participle complementing, simple past and past participle complemented) To complete, to bring to perfection, …

Compliment and complement look and sound similar but have different meanings. Learn the difference, definitions, noun and verb forms with clear examples.

Definition of complement verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.