Supplementary angles are two angles that, when added together, equal 180 degrees. They are angles that form a straight line or a flat surface. This concept is important in understanding the relationships between angles and their properties, which is crucial in the context of topics such as 5.1 Angles, 7.1 Solving Trigonometric Equations with Identities, and 7.3 Double-Angle, Half-Angle, and Reduction Formulas.