complimentary
Americanadjective
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given free as a gift or courtesy.
The hotel gives repeat guests a complimentary gift basket
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expressing a compliment, often one that is politely flattering.
a complimentary remark.
- Synonyms:
- laudatory, commendatory
- Antonyms:
- abusive
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showing or conveying approval or favor.
Our project was received in a complimentary spirit by the community.
His analysis of our work was not as complimentary as we were hoping it would be.
noun
adjective
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conveying, containing, or resembling a compliment
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expressing praise; flattering
-
given free, esp as a courtesy or for publicity purposes
Usage
What’s the difference between complimentary and complementary? Complimentary is an adjective that can describe something intended to be a compliment—a comment that expresses praise or admiration of someone (as in a complimentary remark). It can also be used to mean that something is given for free, as in I hope we get complimentary snacks on this flight. Complementary is an adjective used to describe something that complements something else—goes along with it and serves to make it better or complete it (as in complementary colors). Since the primary senses of both words are generally used in positive contexts, it can be easy to confuse them. The easiest way to remember the difference is that complementary often involves something that completes something else, and complete also starts with c-o-m-p-l-e. On the other hand, you can remember that complimentary is spelled with an i because compliments are something that I like to get (and give). Nice shirt, by the way. Here’s an example of complimentary and complementary used correctly in the same sentence. Example: Sometimes, when the chef overhears complimentary feedback about a dish, she sends out a complimentary bottle of wine—one that’s complementary to the rest of the meal, of course. Want to learn more? Read about the difference between compliment and complement.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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complimentarinessnoun
-
intercomplimentaryadjective
-
quasi-complimentaryadjective
-
uncomplimentaryadjective
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complimentarilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of complimentary
First recorded in 1620–30; compliment + -ary
Explanation
If you say something complimentary, like "Grandma, that plastic flower looks so pretty in your hair," you are flattering, praising or admiring someone. "Resembling a compliment" is one way to define the word complimentary, when you use it in the sense of giving praise. A second meaning of complimentary is "free." If your hotel includes breakfast with the price of your room, they may call it a complimentary breakfast. It's easy to get complimentary confused with complementary, which sounds exactly the same but means "filling in or completing."
Vocabulary lists containing complimentary
Auggie & Me
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The Voice That Challenged a Nation
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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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.
See Examples For:
Attendees—mostly women—sip matcha lattes or wine, or take a complimentary Pilates class, while hearing from family lawyers and consultants about the benefits of the legal agreement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The benefits, like annual hotel credits, TSA PreCheck and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, sounded great, but my college lifestyle didn’t justify using them.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Rodriguez embraced the culture as he sipped a complimentary can of Coca-Cola -- one of around a dozen he had hoarded to share with his family also attending the game.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
Employees at the store handed out complimentary gift bags and fresh flowers during the grand opening Wednesday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
They were pictures he’d drawn with his complimentary pencil.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Fuller, however, always ready for an emergency, sent out a flood of complimentaries to the school-teachers of New York and adjacent territory, and the house was crammed.
From Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 1 (1835-1866) by Paine, Albert Bigelow
That, sir, he has to shew here; and confirmed under the hands of the most skilful and cunning complimentaries alive: Please you read, sir.
From Cynthia's Revels by Jonson, Ben
When it became evident to Fuller that the venture was not going to pay, he sent out a flood of complimentaries to the school-teachers of New York City and the surrounding districts.
From Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 2 (1867-1875) by Paine, Albert Bigelow
No a dime, he says; but he showed me a bunch of complimentaries and laughed and said he’d sell them cheap.
From The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park The Rival Photo Theatres of the Boardwalk by Appleton, Victor [pseud.]
"Now sure, Captain Jack, ye's always full of your complimentaries," replied the sutler, taking the bridle of her customer.
From The Spy by Cooper, James Fenimore
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.