completion

American  

[kuhm-plee-shuhn] / kəmˈpli ʃən /

noun

1. the act of completing.

   Synonyms:

   closing, ending, termination

2. the state of being completed.

3. conclusion; fulfillment.

   Her last novel represented the completion of her literary achievement.

4. Football. a forward pass that has been completed.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncompletion
  noun
• precompletion
  noun
• subcompletion
  noun

Etymology

Origin of completion

First recorded in 1650–60, completion is from the Late Latin word complētiōn- (stem of complētiō ). See complete, -ion

Explanation

When something comes to completion, it's finished. In football, a pass that's been caught is called a completion. If a wide receiver has a lot of completions, then he had a good day: that means he caught a lot of passes. But if the receiver is out of bounds or drops the ball, then there's no completion. Quarterbacks are judged by their completion rate, too. Off the gridiron, you can use the word completion to talk about anything that's been completed or achieved. Graduation day marks the completion of high school. The completion of a new building or a PhD can take years.

Related Words

• accomplishment
• achievement
• conclusion
• culmination
• expiration
• finalization
• fulfillment
• integration
• realization