supplement
SUP-luh-ment
/ˈsʌplɪmənt/
A substance taken to remedy the deficiencies in a person's diet; something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.
In health, it implies something added to a healthy lifestyle, not a replacement for food or medicine.
The story behind the word. From 'sub-' (below/up) and 'plere' (to fill). It’s the same root that gives us 'supply' and 'plenty.' It literally means to fill up from below.
Word relationships
- addition: Addition is just adding something; supplement implies adding something to fill a gap or improve the whole.
Commonly confused with
- complement: A complement completes something; a supplement adds to it to enhance it or fill a deficiency.
Word family
- supplementary (adjective): Completing or enhancing something.
- supplemental (adjective): Provided in addition to what is already present.
Collocations
- dietary supplement
- vitamin supplement
- supplement the income
- nutritional supplement
Example sentences
- "If you don't get enough sunlight, you might need a Vitamin D supplement during the winter." Nutrition advice.
- "Dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA as food, not as drugs." Regulatory definition. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Memory hook
SUP-plement: It 'SUP-plies' what is missing. Fill the gap.
When not to use
Don't call a primary medication a 'supplement.' Supplements are secondary.
Fun facts
- The most common supplement in the world is the multivitamin, though its benefits for healthy individuals are still debated by scientists.
Explore more words
ancillary, remedial, incremental, amendment, cumulative, refine
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