Adjective: complementary ,kóm-plu'men-t(u-)ree
- Of words or propositions so related that each is the negation of the other
"‘male’ and ‘female’ are complementary terms"
- Acting as or providing a complement (something that completes the whole)
"The complementary angle completed the 90-degree triangle";
- complemental
- Either one of two chromatic colours that when mixed together give white (in the case of lights) or grey (in the case of pigments)
"yellow and blue are complementaries"; "Blue and orange are complementary colours often used in graphic design";
- complementary color [US], complementary colour [Brit, Cdn]
Sounds like: complimentary
Derived forms: complementaries
See also: additive, antonymous
Type of: chromatic color [US], chromatic colour [Brit, Cdn], spectral color [US], spectral colour [Brit, Cdn]
Encyclopedia: Complementary