How to pronounce complement
American English pronunciation
KOM-pluh-munt
- IPA
- /ˈkɑmpləmənt/
- Syllables
- KOM · pluh · munt (3 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What complement means
Something that goes well with another thing and completes it
In a sentence: The tangy salsa was the perfect complement to the crunchy chips.
Where it comes from: It comes from the Latin word complementum, meaning "something that fills up or completes."
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Another meaning
An angle that adds to another to make 90 degrees
In a sentence: A 30-degree angle and its 60-degree complement make a right angle.
Where it comes from: It comes from the Latin complementum, something that fills up or completes. Together, the two angles complete a right angle.
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