The act of adding something to what is already there, so that the total reaches an acceptable level. It is the noun for the action of supplementing.

The act of adding something to what is already there把某樣東西加到已經有的東西上, so that the total reaches an acceptable level讓總量達到一個可接受的程度. It is the noun for the action of supplementing它是'supplement（補充）'這個動作的名詞形式。

By far its most common home today is health and nutrition: vitamin supplementation, iron supplementation, calcium supplementation. Here it means giving people a nutrient they are not getting enough of from food. "The study looked at the effects of vitamin D supplementation in older adults." Doctors, nutrition researchers and health articles use it constantly.

By far its most common home today is health and nutrition它現在最常出現的領域是健康和營養: vitamin supplementation, iron supplementation, calcium supplementationvitamin supplementation（補充維生素）、iron supplementation（補充鐵質）、calcium supplementation（補充鈣質）. Here it means giving people a nutrient they are not getting enough of from food在這裡它的意思是給人們補充他們從食物裡攝取不夠的營養素. "The study looked at the effects of vitamin D supplementation in older adults."'The study looked at the effects of vitamin D supplementation in older adults.'（這項研究探討了補充維生素D對老年人的影響。） Doctors, nutrition researchers and health articles use it constantly醫生、營養研究人員和健康文章都經常用這個字。

It also appears in economics and farming, where the level being topped up is money or animal feed — income supplementation, feed supplementation — but these are much less common.

It also appears in economics and farming它也會出現在經濟學和農業裡, where the level being topped up is money or animal feed這時被補足的是金錢或飼料 — income supplementation, feed supplementationincome supplementation（收入補貼）、feed supplementation（飼料補充） — but these are much less common但這些用法少見得多。

This is a heavy, formal, written word. Almost nobody says it in conversation. In speech an English speaker would say "taking vitamin D" or "taking supplements", not "vitamin D supplementation". So recognise it when you read research and health writing, and choose the simpler wording when you speak.

This is a heavy, formal, written word這是個沉重、正式、書面的字. Almost nobody says it in conversation幾乎沒有人在對話裡會說它. In speech an English speaker would say "taking vitamin D" or "taking supplements"說話時，英語母語者會說'taking vitamin D'或'taking supplements', not "vitamin D supplementation"而不是'vitamin D supplementation'. So recognise it when you read research and health writing所以，讀研究和健康文章時要認得它, and choose the simpler wording when you speak自己說話時則選簡單的說法。

Notice the pattern: the noun is usually followed by nothing at all, and the thing being added goes in front of it — iron supplementation, not "supplementation of iron" (though "supplementation with iron" does occur in medical writing).

Notice the pattern注意這個規律: the noun is usually followed by nothing at all這個名詞後面通常什麼都不接, and the thing being added goes in front of it而被添加的東西放在它前面 — iron supplementation, not "supplementation of iron"是iron supplementation，不是'supplementation of iron' (though "supplementation with iron" does occur in medical writing)（不過'supplementation with iron'確實會出現在醫學寫作裡）。