noun
complement
a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction
Where it comes from
Complement came through Anglo-French from Latin complementum, something that fills out or completes. It was built from complere, to fill or bring to completion, plus the noun-forming suffix -mentum.
How the meaning developed
Something that completed a quantity became something that completed or enhanced another thing. Technical uses retain exact versions of that idea: a ship's complement fills its required number, and complementary angles complete a right angle.
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In use
“Complement” or “compliment”?
Which fits: Those shoes ______ your outfit?
Pick before swiping.
To “complement” is to complete something or go well with it.
To “compliment” is to praise.
“Nice shoes!” is a compliment. The shoes are not talking.
Sources
- Complement Definition & Meaning
- Complement vs. Compliment: What Is the Difference?
- Complement: Etymology, Origin & Meaning
- dictionary.cambridge.org
- dictionary.cambridge.org
Definitions adapted from Open English WordNet where applicable. License and attribution. Word-history text comes from Lexifour’s sourced social research; pages are assembled automatically, not individually fact-checked on every update.
Updated 2026-09-25. Report a correction.