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complementary distribution

noun

, Linguistics.
  1. a relation such that the members of a pair or set of phones, morphs, or other linguistic units have no environment in common, as aspirated “p” and unaspirated “p” in English, the first occurring only in positions where the second does not.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of complementary distribution1

First recorded in 1930–35

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complementary colourcomplementary DNA