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supplement

supplement

103 3.9
An extra pill or food that people take to give needed nutrients
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌplɪmənt/
translation icon : suplemento alimenticio
  • She decided to take a vitamin supplement to improve her overall health.
  • take supplements
  • vitamin supplements
  • a dietary supplement

And the problem was the people that bought supplements with a catalog.

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Examples

  • Cognitively focused instruction may prove a useful alternative or supplement to skills-based instruction in specific instances for certain students.

    Academic text (2013)
  • It's an iron supplement, you should take it after a meal.

  • This is a hair supplement and I love it.

  • And we all know that taking a biotin supplement will help us get that right.

  • Well, we've got a supplement for you.

  • This is an all-natural beauty supplement.

  • Can vitamin D supplements be bad for your health?

  • I usually like to take some vitamin supplements after every meal.

  • Vitamins and mineral supplements were used daily by 20% of men and 28% of women.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Women who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis may be prescribed a bone health supplement, including calcium and vitamin D.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

addition
vssupplement
773 1.6

A person, thing, or extra part put into something to improve it

focuses on additions intended to improve or to make up for a lack
dietary supplement
vssupplement
  • Specialized
14 3.2

A pill, powder, or liquid you take by mouth to add vitamins and minerals to your diet

is a general extra used to improve or make up for a lack
nutraceutical
vssupplement
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A food or supplement that gives health benefits beyond basic nutrition

is broader, not limited to items promising medical or extra health effects
supp
vssupplement
  • Jargon
8.8

An informal word for a vitamin or pill people take

is the full formal word rather than a casual abbreviation
zinc supplement
vssupplement
3.4

A tablet, capsule, or liquid taken to increase zinc in the diet

is a general extra not limited to a single nutrient or element

Antonyms

253 2.7

Not having enough of something people need, like food or water

98 4.5

Not having enough of something that is needed

Compounds

dietary supplement
  • Specialized
14 3.2

A pill, powder, or liquid you take by mouth to add vitamins and minerals to your diet

colour supplement
  • Literature
3.8

A magazine in colour that comes with a newspaper on weekends

An extra charge for a person staying alone in a hotel room or cabin

A tablet, capsule, or liquid taken to increase zinc in the diet

How Much

augmentation
13 6.1
enhancement
81 4.2
supplement
103 3.9
extra
1.0
add-on
22 3.9

Surface Forms

supplement singular
supplements plural

Etymology

Supplement comes from an old Latin word plere meaning 'to fill', and you can see the same idea in the familiar word plenty. A helpful image is of adding something small to 'fill' what the body lacks, which is why a supplement is an extra vitamin or mineral you take to help your health.