Definition:
A word or word group that completes the predicate in a sentence. The two kinds of complements are subject complements (which follow the verb be and other copular verbs) and object complements (which follow a direct object). Complements are required to complete the verb, in contrast to modifiers, which are optional.
Etymology:
From the Latin, "to fill out."Examples:
- "Well, spring sprang. Thanks, Gaia. Much obliged. I guess it's time to get back to that daily routine of living we like to call normal."
(Northern Exposure, 1991) - "Libel actions, when we look at them in perspective, are an ornament of a civilized society. They have replaced, after all, at least in most cases, a resort to weapons in defense of a reputation."
(Henry Anatole Grunwald)
Pronunciation: KOM-pli-ment
