From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcomplementcom‧ple‧ment1 /ˈkɒmpləment $ ˈkɑːm-/ ●○○ AWL verb [transitive] SUITABLEto make a good combination with someone or something else John and Bob complemented each other well. The dark red walls complement the red leather chairs.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that something goes well with another thing, or they go well together, rather than say they complement each other:White wine goes well with fish.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
complement• Soft, creamy bed linen adds a luxurious touch and complements any colour scheme.• A simple string of pearls will complement any outfit.• His arrow-straight burst was complemented by a neat sidestep around Andre• The determination to use private enterprises as key actors was later complemented by stronger regulation.• The chicken dish is complemented by wild rice or spiced couscous.• The two men would complement each other perfectly.• The two languages really worked together: the two cultures clashed and complemented each other.• She looked beautiful -- the white silk of her blouse complemented her olive skin perfectly.• For the show, the museum is borrowing twenty paintings that complement its own collection.• It's a lot stronger than before and has softer colour tone which complements Michelle's skin.• We need to recognize how powerful we can be working in tandem and complementing, rather than fighting, each other.• Chirk was now peripheral to Gloucester's main concerns but complemented Stanley involvement in Cheshire and Flint.• The wine complemented the meal perfectly.• The presence of these additional mystical agencies complements the non-mystical causes already examined and thus expands the range of explanation.• Buy a scarf that complements your shirt or dress.complementcom‧ple‧ment2 /ˈkɒmpləmənt $ ˈkɑːm-/ AWL noun [countable] 1 SUITABLEsomeone or something that emphasizes the good qualities of another person or thingcomplement to This wine would be a nice complement to grilled dishes.2 COMPLETEthe number or quantity needed to make a group completecomplement of Each new cell will carry its full complement of chromosomes.3 SLG technical a word or phrase that follows a verb and describes the subject of the verb. In ‘John is cold’ and ‘John became chairman’, ‘cold’ and ‘chairman’ are complements.Examples from the Corpus
complement• Immunohistochemical staining using antiserum reacting against complement factor C3d was used to visualize neuritic plaques.• It was hard enough beating the depleted champs with a near-full complement last night.• Genome: the genetic complement of a living organism.• Our nod went to the mushroom version, a perfect complement to the rolls.• There are now few villages without their complement of newcomers who work in towns.complement to• White wine makes an excellent complement to fish.full complement• In the old days it had carried a full complement of aides, courtiers, ministers, secretaries and bodyguards.• These have a full complement of hot peppers, lime and lemon grass, as well as rich coconut milk or coconut itself.• It supports a full complement of networking, interface, development and database environments.• Managers with a full complement of volunteers and adequate space, however, fare no better.• Little Honoria had clearly been determined on her full complement of playmates.• These divide and re-divide, each new cell carrying its full complement of chromosomes.• A nearly full complement of 673 passengers cast off from the city dock this day, dark with continuous rain.• It should house the full complement of technical guides, manuals and publications.Origin complement1 (1300-1400) Latin complementum, from complere; → COMPLETE1 