Usage of the verb 'mean' + adjective

[vpkannan]

Dear Alan

'Complement does not mean compulsory.'

Is the above usage of 'mean + adjective' correct?

With regards

V P Kannan

[Alan]

Yes, although the status of 'compulsory' as an adjective is not relevant structurally: a word of any class may stand as a complement to 'mean' and should, strictly speaking, be enclosed by quotation marks.