supplementära

Supplementära is a Swedish adjective meaning supplementary or added to something to enhance or complete it. It is used to describe elements that are not essential but provide additional value, flexibility, or capacity. The form supplementär is the base, while supplementära is used for plural nouns or when describing plural entities in scope, for example supplementära uppgifter (supplementary tasks). The adverbial form is supplementärt in corresponding contexts.

Etymology and related forms: supplementära derives from Latin supplementarius, via French supplémentaire, into Swedish. In other Scandinavian languages, similar concepts appear as supplerende in Danish and Norwegian Bokmål, reflecting a shared Latin root and related meanings. In Swedish, the term is most common in formal, technical, or academic language, rather than everyday speech.

Usage and nuance: supplementära emphasizes addition beyond the core or primary material. It is often used in education, research, planning, and policy contexts to denote extra resources, tasks, or materials that complement the main offering. It is distinct from komplementär, which stresses filling a gap to achieve a full or functional whole, and from tillägg, a more general “addition.” For example, “supplementära uppgifter” refers to extra exercises that accompany the main curriculum.

Grammar and examples: common noun phrases use supplementära as an attributive plural modifier, as in supplementära uppgifter. Definite forms appear in phrases like de supplementära uppgifterna (the supplementary tasks).

See also: supplement, supplementär, tillägg, kompletterande, komplementär.