Complementary
adjective
Adding to something in a way that enhances or completes it.
A wine that is a lovely complementary to the meal.
Often appears as...
- complementary colors
- complementary goods
adjective
Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize each other's qualities.
The complementary colors look vibrant when placed next to each other.
Often appears as...
- complementary skills
- complementary pair
Usage tips
Approving
adjective
In biology, it's the relationship between two parts or things which function best together.
In DNA, the complementary strands are held together by chemical bonds.
Often appears as...
- complementary dna
- complementary base pairing
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
In mathematics, it describes angles which add up to 90 degrees.
In a right triangle, the acute angles are complementary.
Often appears as...
- complementary angles
- complementary function
Usage tips
Neutral
Technical
adjective
Adding to something in a way that enhances or completes it.
A wine that is a lovely complementary to the meal.
Often appears as...
- complementary colors
- complementary goods
adjective
Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize each other's qualities.
The complementary colors look vibrant when placed next to each other.
Often appears as...
- complementary skills
- complementary pair
Usage tips
Approving
adjective
In biology, it's the relationship between two parts or things which function best together.
In DNA, the complementary strands are held together by chemical bonds.
Often appears as...
- complementary dna
- complementary base pairing
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
In mathematics, it describes angles which add up to 90 degrees.
In a right triangle, the acute angles are complementary.
Often appears as...
- complementary angles
- complementary function
Usage tips
Neutral
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Enhancement Focus
Focus on how 'complementary' items enhance or improve each other when combined.
Her scarf was a complementary accessory, making her outfit pop.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Necessary
'Complementary' suggests an addition is not essential but beneficial.
The hotel offered a complementary breakfast that made our stay more pleasant.
Pro Tip 3/3Complete the Whole
Use 'complementary' when one thing completes another to form a whole.
Their skills are complementary, together providing a full range of services.
Pro Tip 1/3Enhancement Focus
Focus on how 'complementary' items enhance or improve each other when combined.
Her scarf was a complementary accessory, making her outfit pop.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Necessary
'Complementary' suggests an addition is not essential but beneficial.
The hotel offered a complementary breakfast that made our stay more pleasant.
Pro Tip 3/3Complete the Whole
Use 'complementary' when one thing completes another to form a whole.
Their skills are complementary, together providing a full range of services.
Pro Tip 1/3Enhancement Focus
Focus on how 'complementary' items enhance or improve each other when combined.
Her scarf was a complementary accessory, making her outfit pop.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Necessary
'Complementary' suggests an addition is not essential but beneficial.
The hotel offered a complementary breakfast that made our stay more pleasant.
Pro Tip 3/3Complete the Whole
Use 'complementary' when one thing completes another to form a whole.
Their skills are complementary, together providing a full range of services.
Compare with
compatiblecongruitycoordinatecorrespondharmoniousinterrelatedreciprocalsupplementarysynergist
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Video examples
Bill Gross: Great ideas...
this generates the peak power at the peak usage time, so it's very complementary in that sense. This is how we would envision a residential application. We also think there's very big potential for energy farms, especially in remote land where there happens to be a lot of sun. It's a really good combination of those two factors. It turns out there's a lot of powerful sun all around the world, obviously,
Video examples
Praising slowness - Carl...
I think a lot of people are deeply disillusioned with the kind of quick fix mentality you find in conventional medicine and millions of them around the world are turning to complementary and alternative forms of medicine which tend to tap into sort of slower gentler more holistic forms of healing
Video examples
Morgan Spurlock: The...
Thanks for you patience. Yeah. All right. Yeah, I don't know what's going to come of this. There was a whole lot of crazy going on in there. Lindsay The first thing we saw was this idea that you had two distinct, but complementary sides to your brand personality --
Video examples
Raghava KK: Coloring...
never done this within the silos of the art world I had to learn to color outside the line and reach out to science we're here to explore with the scientists I think of art and science is not in competition but really as complementary to each other and and I
Video examples
Steven Pinker: Human...
than if they had grown up together. Everything that happens to you in a given home over all of those years appears to leave no permanent stamp on your personality or intellect. A complementary finding, from a completely different methodology,
Video examples
Carl Honore: In praise...
In medicine, I think a lot of people are deeply disillusioned with the kind of quick-fix mentality you find in conventional medicine. And millions of them around the world are turning to complementary and alternative forms of medicine,
Video examples
The greatest TED Talk...
patient great job yeah yeah I don't know what's gonna come of this there was a whole lot of crazy going on in there the first thing we saw was this idea that you had two distinct but complementary sides to your brand personality the
Video examples
Anu Puusa: The case for...
between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. Their uniqueness is based on the idea of duality. They have two distinct but complementary roles. On one hand, they act like any other business and try to make money.
Video examples
How we can build AI to...
then we're in a great position to start evolving computer technology in a way that's complementary with our own experiences. So, digging more deeply into this,
Video examples
Making sense of complex...
are motivated by the idea of giving their gifts to the world and David can find collaborators who are different from him who are complementary to him
Video examples
Bill Gross: Great ideas...
this generates the peak power at the peak usage time, so it's very complementary in that sense. This is how we would envision a residential application. We also think there's very big potential for energy farms, especially in remote land where there happens to be a lot of sun. It's a really good combination of those two factors. It turns out there's a lot of powerful sun all around the world, obviously,
Video examples
Praising slowness - Carl...
I think a lot of people are deeply disillusioned with the kind of quick fix mentality you find in conventional medicine and millions of them around the world are turning to complementary and alternative forms of medicine which tend to tap into sort of slower gentler more holistic forms of healing
Video examples
Morgan Spurlock: The...
Thanks for you patience. Yeah. All right. Yeah, I don't know what's going to come of this. There was a whole lot of crazy going on in there. Lindsay The first thing we saw was this idea that you had two distinct, but complementary sides to your brand personality --
Video examples
Raghava KK: Coloring...
never done this within the silos of the art world I had to learn to color outside the line and reach out to science we're here to explore with the scientists I think of art and science is not in competition but really as complementary to each other and and I
Video examples
Steven Pinker: Human...
than if they had grown up together. Everything that happens to you in a given home over all of those years appears to leave no permanent stamp on your personality or intellect. A complementary finding, from a completely different methodology,
Video examples
Carl Honore: In praise...
In medicine, I think a lot of people are deeply disillusioned with the kind of quick-fix mentality you find in conventional medicine. And millions of them around the world are turning to complementary and alternative forms of medicine,
Video examples
The greatest TED Talk...
patient great job yeah yeah I don't know what's gonna come of this there was a whole lot of crazy going on in there the first thing we saw was this idea that you had two distinct but complementary sides to your brand personality the
Video examples
Anu Puusa: The case for...
between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. Their uniqueness is based on the idea of duality. They have two distinct but complementary roles. On one hand, they act like any other business and try to make money.
Video examples
How we can build AI to...
then we're in a great position to start evolving computer technology in a way that's complementary with our own experiences. So, digging more deeply into this,
Video examples
Making sense of complex...
are motivated by the idea of giving their gifts to the world and David can find collaborators who are different from him who are complementary to him
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Jay Samit
American Businessman
Founders need sizable egos to believe that what they are creating is good enough to change the world. What makes for great co-founders is having those egos focused on complementary, not competing, skills.
Quote examples
Kristina McMorris
American Author
My childhood memories of my grandparents are of a wonderful, complementary couple. While my grandfather had a spirited, humorous personality, my grandmother is gentle and poised.
Quote examples
Munshi Premchand
Indian Writer
I believe that if man and woman cherish the same ideals and think alike, then the marriage can be complementary to each other's work instead of being a hindrance.
Quote examples
Alan Kay
American Scientist
Having an intelligent secretary does not get rid of the need to read, write, and draw, etc. In a well functioning world, tools and agents are complementary.
Quote examples
Max Weber
German Economist
The ethic of conviction and the ethic of responsibility are not opposites. They are complementary to one another.
Quote examples
Yoshiro Mori
Japanese Politician
India and Japan should develop a complementary relationship in information technology.
Quote examples
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
American Athlete
You've just got to play complementary football; you've just got to wait your time.
Quote examples
Deepak Chopra
American Speaker
Dynamic activity and deep rest of the mind are complementary to each other.
Quote examples
Hubert Burda
German Historian
I think that the Internet and print behave in a complementary manner.
Quote examples
Sam Wood
American Director
Todd and I have a very complementary working style .
Quote examples
Jay Samit
American Businessman
Founders need sizable egos to believe that what they are creating is good enough to change the world. What makes for great co-founders is having those egos focused on complementary, not competing, skills.
Quote examples
Kristina McMorris
American Author
My childhood memories of my grandparents are of a wonderful, complementary couple. While my grandfather had a spirited, humorous personality, my grandmother is gentle and poised.
Quote examples
Munshi Premchand
Indian Writer
I believe that if man and woman cherish the same ideals and think alike, then the marriage can be complementary to each other's work instead of being a hindrance.
Quote examples
Alan Kay
American Scientist
Having an intelligent secretary does not get rid of the need to read, write, and draw, etc. In a well functioning world, tools and agents are complementary.
Quote examples
Max Weber
German Economist
The ethic of conviction and the ethic of responsibility are not opposites. They are complementary to one another.
Quote examples
Yoshiro Mori
Japanese Politician
India and Japan should develop a complementary relationship in information technology.
Quote examples
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
American Athlete
You've just got to play complementary football; you've just got to wait your time.
Quote examples
Deepak Chopra
American Speaker
Dynamic activity and deep rest of the mind are complementary to each other.
Quote examples
Hubert Burda
German Historian
I think that the Internet and print behave in a complementary manner.
Quote examples
Sam Wood
American Director
Todd and I have a very complementary working style .
Example 1 of 10
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