complimentary
adjUK /ˌkɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ · US /ˌkɑmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/
Etymology From compliment (noun) + -ary. Piecewise doublet of complementary.
1
In the nature of a compliment.
- a complimentary remark
- 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...1877 August 25, Mark Twain, The Letters of Mark Twain, volume 3,2004, page 56:
2
Free; provided at no charge.
- complimentary drinks
- In the evenings, Ward and PJ offer guests a complimentary drink. This gesture seems to reinforce the hosts' desire to make everyone feel welcome.2005, Vivien Lougheed, Belize Pocket Adventures, page 65:
3
With respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional.
- The complimentary closing is the word grouping used to bring the message or text to a close.2003, Richard H. Beatty, The Perfect Cover Letter:
- Derived terms
- complimentarily, complimentariness, noncomplimentary, overcomplimentary