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Synonyms

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.


Other Word 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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing completion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The construction of two huge single-track viaducts were "nearing completion", he added.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

The 1.4 billion euro financing, from new and existing investors, provides Stegra a fully funded path to completion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

In addition to the hype around SpaceX, the industry is benefiting from the successful completion of the most ambitious human spaceflight in decades.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Anthropic is previewing its Mythos model, while OpenAI is nearing completion of its “Spud” AI model.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Drawings of gowns were tacked to a corkboard, and racks held examples of work in various stages of completion.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson