American Dictionary

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Definition complement in American English

complement noun

[countable] noun
/ˈkɑmpləmənt/
1

something that is added to something else

Example

Her youthful energy will be a welcome complement to the strength and experience of the team.

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2

something that combines well with something else

Example

Our sauces are the perfect complement to any meal.

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3

the number of people or things that something has

Example

the department with the largest complement of employees

Example

We already have our full complement of workers.

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4

in active clauses, the part of a clause that comes after a linking verb such as 'be', 'seem', or 'appear' and identifies or describes the subject. A complement is usually a noun or adjective. For example in the sentences 'Parking is always a problem in city-centres' and 'Sometimes the future seems very uncertain', the complements are 'a problem' and 'very uncertain'.

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5

an angle that is added to another angle to form an angle of 90 degrees

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Definition complement in American English