Meaning & use
free or complimentary ticket
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A ticket you do not pay for, given as a gift, prize, or part of a deal.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase: a free or complimentary ticket, two complimentary tickets.
Patterns
- get a free or complimentary ticket
- give someone a complimentary ticket
- a complimentary ticket to something
Guests of the hotel receive a free or complimentary ticket to the museum.
The radio station gave away free or complimentary tickets to the concert.
Staff can request a complimentary ticket for the opening night.
Common combinations
- complimentary ticket
- Each speaker was given a complimentary ticket for the gala dinner.
- free ticket
- Children under five get a free ticket on the ferry.
- a complimentary ticket to
- She won a complimentary ticket to the final.
- give away tickets
- The newspaper gave away free tickets every Friday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pass
- A pass usually gives ongoing or repeated access, while a ticket is normally for one event or journey.
- voucher
- A voucher is exchanged for goods or a service, whereas a ticket is itself the thing you use to enter.
Opposites
Word family
- complimentary adjective
- Given free of charge, often as a courtesy.
- freely adverb
- Without payment or restriction; not used for tickets.
Commonly confused: free or complimentary ticket or complementary?
free or complimentary ticket vs complementary
'Complementary' means completing or going well together, as in complementary colors; 'complimentary' means free or expressing praise.
Practice
The airline offered me a ______ ticket after my flight was delayed.
Choose one answer.
'Complimentary' means given free as a courtesy, which fits a goodwill gesture. 'Complementary' means matching or completing something, so it does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “free or complimentary ticket”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.