complimentary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
given for free, usually by a business like a hotel or restaurant.
provided without charge as a courtesy or for promotional purposes.
Simple“The hotel provides a complimentary breakfast for all guests staying in the building.”
In context“The airline offered complimentary champagne to passengers in first class to compensate for the two-hour delay on the tarmac.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.
PitfallThe breakfast was complementary. The breakfast was complimentary.Do not confuse 'complimentary' (free/praising) with 'complementary' (things that go well together).
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
saying something nice or showing that you admire someone.
expressing a compliment; conveying praise, admiration, or approval.
Simple“The teacher was very complimentary about my latest essay in front of the class.”
In context“The critics were surprisingly complimentary regarding the director's debut film, despite its modest production budget.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'about'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
used to describe the formal way you end a professional letter.
relating to the conventional closing of a formal letter before the signature.
Simple“She chose a standard complimentary close like 'Yours sincerely' for her job application.”
In context“The business writing manual explains which complimentary closings are appropriate for different levels of professional hierarchy.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the phrase 'complimentary close' or 'complimentary closing'.
complimentary vs complementary — Complementary describes things that complete each other, while complimentary describes praise or items provided for free.
“None of the songs about him were complimentary.”
From compliment (noun) + -ary. Piecewise doublet of complementary.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.