Complementary vs Reciprocal - What's the difference?
complementary | reciprocal |
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.
Of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly felt or done by each party towards the other or others; two-way.
* Shakespeare
Mutually interchangeable.
* I. Watts
(grammar) Reflexive; applied to pronouns and verbs, but sometimes limited to pronouns that express mutual action.
(math) Used to denote different kinds of mutual relation; often with reference to the substitution of reciprocals for given quantities.
contrary or opposite
(arithmetic) Of a number, the number obtained by dividing 1 by the given number; the result of exchanging the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.
As adjectives the difference between complementary and reciprocal
is that complementary is acting as a complement while reciprocal is of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly felt or done by each party towards the other or others; two-way.As nouns the difference between complementary and reciprocal
is that complementary is a complementary colour while reciprocal is of a number, the number obtained by dividing 1 by the given number; the result of exchanging the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.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)
External links
* *reciprocal
English
Adjective
(-)- reciprocal''' love; '''reciprocal duties
- Let our reciprocal vows be remembered.
- These two rules will render a definition reciprocal with the thing defined.
Synonyms
* mutual, two-way * contrary, opposite, converse, inverse, inverted, cross * See alsoNoun
(en noun)- 0.5 is the reciprocal of 2.