complementary

Together forming wholeness

Complementary describes things that complete or enhance each other when combined.

Complementary colors sit opposite on the color wheel and create contrast.

Complementary skills in a team fill different needs.

Their personalities are complementary—she's outgoing, he's reflective.

In geometry, complementary angles sum to ninety degrees.

Not to be confused with complimentary, which means flattering or free of charge.

pairing

matching

Identical in appearance

compatibility · correspondence · alignment · coordination · counterpart · tandem · interlocking · concordance · unison · dovetailing

colors

opposite

Reverse or contrary thing

vibrant · red-green · pigment · palette · painting · design · chromatic · hue · tint · shade

reciprocal

mutual

Shared between parties

quid-pro-quo · back-and-forth · symbiotic · cooperative · two-way · interdependent · corresponding · offsetting · correlative · codependent

supplementary

additional

Beyond the existing amount

secondary · accessory · subsidiary · adjunct · backup · accompanying · extra · add-on · supporting · parallel

angles

geometry

Science of spatial relationships

adjacent · acute · math · measurement · degree · supplementary · protractor · vertex · intersection

enhancing

accentuating

Stressing for emphasis

heightening · improving · intensifying · magnifying · enriching · strengthening · augmenting · reinforcing · fortifying · polishing

Categories
Opposites
compatibility and fit

complementaryclashing

Striking with discord

conflicting · discordant · incompatible · mismatched · incongruous

functional relationship

complementaryredundant

Exceeding what's needed

duplicative · competing · superfluous · rival · substitutive

dependence and connection

complementaryindependent

Free from external control

unrelated · separate · disconnected · autonomous · self-sufficient

Phrases
Family

complementarity, complementary colors, complementary medicine

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G