supplementary
supplementary Lexical Profile
supplementary Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Provided in addition to what is already present or available in order to complete, enhance, or make up for a deficiency.
"The professor provided supplementary reading materials for students who wanted to explore the topic in greater depth."
Designating two angles whose measures add up to 180 degrees (in geometry).
"Because the two adjacent angles lie along a straight line, they are supplementary."
• noun
An additional item, examination, question, or appropriation provided to supplement or complete something else.
"Students who missed the final exam due to illness were permitted to sit for a supplementary in August."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with 'complementary': 'supplementary' refers to something added to supply a deficiency or provide extra material, whereas 'complementary' refers to something that combines with another thing to form a complete, harmonious whole (though in geometry, supplementary angles sum to 180 degrees while complementary angles sum to 90 degrees).
• Rhymes for supplementary
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-17th century from 'supplement' plus '-ary', ultimately deriving from Latin 'supplementum' ('that which fills up'), from 'supplere' ('to fill up or complete').