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Auxiliary vs Complimentary - What's the difference?

auxiliary | complimentary |

As adjectives the difference between auxiliary and complimentary

is that auxiliary is helping]]; [[give|giving assistance or support while complimentary is in the nature of a compliment.

As a noun auxiliary

is a person or group that acts in an auxiliary manner.

auxiliary

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Helping]]; [[give, giving assistance or support.
    • auxiliary troops
  • Supplementary or subsidiary.
  • Held in reserve for exceptional circumstances.
  • (nautical) Of a ship, having both sails and an engine.
  • (grammar) Relating to an auxiliary verb.

    • Synonyms

    * (supplementary) accessory * (having sails and engine) motorsailer

    Noun

    (auxiliaries)
  • A person or group that acts in an auxiliary manner.
  • A sailing vessel equipped with an engine.
  • (grammar) An auxiliary verb.
  • *
    • The three traditionally recognized Non-modal Auxiliaries' are the per-
    fective '''Auxiliary''' ''have'', the progressive '''Auxiliary''' ''be'', and the passive '''Auxiliary
    ''be''. Perfective ''have'' is so-called because it marks the completion (hence, ''perfec-
    tion'') of an action; it is followed by a VP headed by a perfective ''-n'' participle, as
    in:
    (121)    The referee has [VP ''shown     him the red card]
  • A marching band colorguard.

    • Related terms

    * auction * auctioneer * augment * augmentation

    See also

    * axillary

    External links

    * *

    complimentary

    English

    (wikipedia complimentary)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • In the nature of a compliment.
  • * , The Letters of Mark Twain, Vol. 3 (published 2004) p. 56.
    • But yesterday evening late, when Lewis arrived from down town he found his supper spread, and some presents of books there, with very complimentary' writings on the fly-leaves, and certain very ' complimentary letters, and more or less greenbacks of dignified denomination pinned to those letters and fly-leaves...
  • Free; provided at no charge.
  • * Vivien Lougheed, Belize Pocket Adventures (2005), p. 65.
    • In the evenings, Ward and PJ offer guests a complimentary drink. This gesture seems to reinforce the hosts' desire to make everyone feel welcome.
  • With respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional.
  • * Richard H. Beatty, The Perfect Cover Letter (2003).
    • The complimentary closing is the word grouping used to bring the message or text to a close.

    Usage notes

    * Complimentary and complementary are frequently confused and misused in place of one another.

    Antonyms

    * uncomplimentary

    Derived terms

    * complimentarily * complimentariness