supplement
Americannoun
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something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole.
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a part added to a book, document, etc., to supply additional or later information, correct errors, or the like.
- Synonyms:
- postscript, epilogue, addendum
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a part, usually of special character, issued as an additional feature of a newspaper or other periodical.
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Geometry. the quantity by which an angle or an arc falls short of 180° or a semicircle.
verb (used with object)
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to complete, add to, or extend by a supplement.
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to form a supplement or addition to.
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to supply (a deficiency).
noun
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an addition designed to complete, make up for a deficiency, etc
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a section appended to a publication to supply further information, correct errors, etc
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a magazine or section inserted into a newspaper or periodical, such as one with colour photographs issued every week
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geometry
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either of a pair of angles whose sum is 180°
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Abbreviation: sup. supp. an arc of a circle that when added to another arc forms a semicircle
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verb
Usage
What does supplement mean? A supplement is an addition to something that completes it or makes up for a shortcoming, as in He takes vitamin supplements to make up for his vitamin C deficiency.A supplement is also an addition to a book that provides important information or corrects errors. In this sense, supplement can be confused with the words appendix and index. An appendix gives additional information, such as charts and graphs, but the book or document would be considered complete without it. An index is an alphabetical list of names or topics with page numbers that helps you find something specific in the book, such as all the references to John Wilkes Booth in a biography of Abraham Lincoln.As a verb, supplement means to add to something, as in Tameka sold paintings to supplement her income.In this sense, supplement can be confused with the word complement. Both words mean to add something, but to complement means to add something to make up for a missing piece or element, while to supplement is to add extra information.Example: The company built a new roller coaster to supplement its original roller coaster, which always has a long line.
Related Words
See appendix. See complement.
Other Word Forms
- supplementation noun
- supplementer noun
- unsupplemented adjective
- well-supplemented adjective
Etymology
Origin of supplement
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin supplēmentum “that by which anything is made full,” equivalent to sup- sup- + plē- (stem of plēre “to fill”; full 1 ) + -mentum -ment
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As public funding for higher education has eroded, universities have increasingly turned to wealthy donors to underwrite major projects and supplement budgets by endowing professorships and research centers.
From Salon
Taking daily collagen supplements can rejuvenate the skin by boosting elasticity and hydration or moisture - but it won't stop wrinkles, says a new scientific review.
From BBC
They are naturally present in protein rich foods and are also sold as dietary supplements.
From Science Daily
Most retired Americans don’t have employment income to supplement their savings, even though a majority wish they did.
From MarketWatch
The lack of diesel has pinched electric generators that previously supplemented production.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
