1
Add information
Provide material beyond a main source.
Example
Maps supplement the written account.
supplement
/ˈsʌplɪmənt/ · SUP-lih-muhntnoun or verb
An addition that completes or strengthens something; to add such material.
Use supplement when an addition improves what is present without replacing it.
What supplement Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Increase a resource
Add to an insufficient supply.
Example
The grant supplemented the museum's operating budget.
3
Additional item
A separate addition to a publication or diet.
Example
The journal issued a supplement on climate modelling.
Use supplement Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Maps supplement the written account.
The grant supplemented the museum's operating budget.
The journal issued a supplement on climate modelling.
Precision Matters
Supplement overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
supplement
vs.Adds material that completes or improves.
augment
Makes an amount or capacity greater.
supplement
vs.Adds without replacing.
supplant
Replaces—the contrast.
supplement
vs.May add any useful resource.
buttress
Specifically reinforces support.
supplement
vs.Contributes a useful addition.
superfluous
Is unnecessary excess.
Test supplement in Context
The interviews add useful information without replacing the records.
1
The researchers used interviews to ___ the census records, adding details that the numerical data could not provide.