autocomplete

[aw-toh-kuhm-pleet]

verb (used with object)

autocompleted, autocompleting 

1. to complete (a sequence of characters) in a text field in a digital document or app.

   Why would this library app autocomplete a book’s title if they don’t have it?!

2. sometimes used interchangeably with autofill.

noun

1. a feature of a messaging app, word processor, email program, web browser, etc., that automatically predicts the remaining characters in a word or phrase based on what has been typed or input before.

   Using autocomplete makes typing on my phone’s tiny keyboard so much faster.

Other Word Forms

• autocompletion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of autocomplete¹

First recorded in 1990–95; auto- ³ ( def. ) + complete ( def. )

Example Sentences

Co-founded by four Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates who are all still in their mid-20s, the company makes an AI tool that learns a developer’s coding style to help autocomplete, edit and review lines of code, according to software engineers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The country's biggest search engine, Naver, has disabled autocomplete and related search suggestions for candidates, as it usually does during election season.

Read more on BBC

"It's largely a glorified autocomplete, but it is very good," he says.

Read more on BBC

Harris was on-hand to take part in the outlet's “Autocomplete Interviews” series, in which celebs respond to popular search queries that follow their name.

Read more on Salon

In the coming months, GitHub also will let engineers use their employer’s own codebase to help autocomplete programs they’re working on, Dohmke said.

Read more on Seattle Times