Alternative vs Complementary - What's the difference?
alternative | complementary |
Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities
Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground (e.g., alternative medicine, alternative lifestyle, (alternative rock)).
Other.
alternate; reciprocal
A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities.
* 1817 , (Walter Scott), Rob Roy , XI:
One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen.
The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted.
Acting as a complement.
*
(genetics) Of the specific pairings of the bases in DNA and RNA.
(physics) Pertaining to pairs of properties in quantum mechanics that are inversely related to each other, such as speed and position, or energy and time. (See also Heisenberg uncertainty principle.)
A complementary colour.
(obsolete) One skilled in compliments.
As nouns the difference between alternative and complementary
is that alternative is alternative while complementary is a complementary colour.As an adjective complementary is
acting as a complement.alternative
English
(wikipedia alternative)Adjective
(-)- an alternative proposition
- (Holland)
Derived terms
* alternative dispute resolution * alternative energy * alternative lifestyle * alternative medicine * alternative press * alternative voteNoun
(en noun)- ‘The cloister or a betrothed husband?’ I echoed—‘Is that the alternative destined for Miss Vernon?’
Synonyms
* See alsoSee also
*References
* * ----complementary
English
(wikipedia complementary)Adjective
(en adjective)- Using the terminology we intro-
duced earlier, we might then say that black and white squares are in comple-
mentary distribution on a chess-board. By this we mean two things: firstly,
black squares and white squares occupy different positions on the board: and
secondly, the black and white squares complement each other in the sense that
the black squares together with the white squares comprise the total set of 64
squares found on the board (i.e. there is no square on the board which is not
either black or white).
Usage notes
* Complementary and complimentary are frequently confused and misused in place of one another.Derived terms
* complementarily * complementarity * complementary angle * complementary colour * complementary distributionNoun
(complementaries)- (Ben Jonson)
