A complement is something that completes, enhances, or goes well with something else. As a verb, it means to add to something in a way that improves or perfects it.
From Latin *complementum* “that which fills up or completes,” from *complere* “to fill up,” from *com-* “together” + *plere* “to fill.” The idea is of filling in what is missing.
Complement and compliment sound the same but aren’t: a *comple*ment completes you; a *compl*iment flatters you. In color theory, complementary colors are opposites on the wheel that, when paired, make each other look more vivid—perfect partners through contrast.
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