complete
Americanadjective
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having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full.
a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.
- Synonyms:
- unbroken
- Antonyms:
- partial
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a complete orbit.
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having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality.
a complete scholar.
- Antonyms:
- defective
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thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified.
a complete victory;
a complete mess.
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Grammar. having all modifying or complementary elements included.
The complete subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “The dappled pony.”
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Football. Also completed. (of a forward pass) caught by a receiver.
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Logic. (of a set of axioms) such that every true proposition able to be formulated in terms of the basic ideas of a given system is deducible from the set.
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Engineering. noting a determinate truss having the least number of members required to connect the panel points so as to form a system of triangles.
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(of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.
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Mathematics.
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of or relating to an algebraic system, as a field with an order relation defined on it, in which every set of elements of the system has a least upper bound.
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of or relating to a set in which every fundamental sequence converges to an element of the set.
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(of a lattice) having the property that every subset has a least upper bound and a greatest lower bound.
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verb (used with object)
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to make whole or entire.
I need three more words to complete the puzzle.
- Synonyms:
- close, conclude, terminate, achieve, accomplish, perfect, consummate
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to make perfect.
His parting look of impotent rage completed my revenge.
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to bring to an end; finish.
Has he completed his new novel yet?
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to consummate.
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Football. to execute (a forward pass) successfully.
He completed 17 passes in 33 attempts.
adjective
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having every necessary part or element; entire
-
ended; finished
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(prenominal) thorough; absolute
he is a complete rogue
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perfect in quality or kind
he is a complete scholar
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(of a logical system) constituted such that a contradiction arises on the addition of any proposition that cannot be deduced from the axioms of the system Compare consistent
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(of flowers) having sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels
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archaic expert or skilled; accomplished
verb
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to make whole or perfect
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to end; finish
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(in land law) to pay any outstanding balance on a contract for the conveyance of land in exchange for the title deeds, so that the ownership of the land changes hands
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American football (of a quarterback) to make a forward pass successfully
Usage
Occasionally there are objections to modifying complete with qualifiers like almost, more, most, nearly, and quite, because they suggest that complete is relative rather than absolute: an almost complete record; a more complete proposal; the most complete list available. However, such uses are fully standard and occur regularly in all varieties of spoken and written English. See also perfect, unique.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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completednessnoun
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completenessnoun
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completernoun
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completionnoun
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precompletenessnoun
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subcompletenessnoun
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uncompletenessnoun
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completableadjective
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completiveadjective
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half-completedadjective
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quasi-completeadjective
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subcompleteadjective
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uncompletableadjective
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uncompleteadjective
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uncompletedadjective
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well-completedadjective
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completelyadverb
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completivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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completesimple
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completessimple
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have completedperfect
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has completedperfect
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am completingprogressive
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are completingprogressive
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is completingprogressive
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have been completingperfect progressive
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has been completingperfect progressive
Past
-
completedsimple
-
had completedperfect
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was completingprogressive
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were completingprogressive
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had been completingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of complete
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French or directly from Latin complētus (past participle of complēre “to fill up, fulfill,” equivalent to com- com- + plē- fill + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
Complete means that something is finished, or has all of its necessary parts. When the mechanic hands you your keys, you hope that the work on your car is complete, and he hasn't left out a few important pieces of your engine. Complete can be used as an adjective to describe something that is whole or finished, like a complete turkey dinner, which includes not only the bird, but also the stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Another way to use complete is as a verb meaning to make something whole. Adding candles completes the birthday cake.
Vocabulary lists containing complete
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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.
See Examples For:
“A glass-and-timber gym, barrel sauna, outdoor soaking tub, multiple covered terraces, five-car garage, and parking for four additional vehicles complete the property,” reads the listing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Mayor Karen Bass ordered Lineage to complete waste removal within 45 days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Under this route, people must complete 10 years of lawful residence before applying for indefinite leave to remain.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Koivun wound up missing the cut, but it was inevitable that he would break out, because his game is so complete.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
She had given her complete attention to the food she was making, and what was attention but love in action?
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The DBS said, on average, it completes 2.6 million Basic-level checks each year, with 36,000 revealing a conviction.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
I appreciate that everyone brings their own experiences to it, and that sort of completes the piece for me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Those funds bought shares at a discount to the offer value so they could profit when the takeover deal completes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Once Orion completes initial system checks, it will attempt rendezvous and docking operations for the first time with test versions of lunar landers being developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026
The cop answers, “Assuming he successfully completes their process, this case will be dismissed.”
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Last week, the company completed a sale-leaseback deal for 26 stores, bringing in around $77 million in proceeds.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Of those, 240 completed the survey, the agency said in a news release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was second and Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
With the filing, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said they have now completed their responses to the STB’s requests for supplemental information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
It wasn’t until June 1982 that it was completed and the raising could begin.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The document emphasizes marriage as a requirement for sex, and gives a nod to the “success sequence” of completing school, finding gainful employment, getting married, and then having children.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Transit advocates likewise dismissed the idea, arguing lawmakers should remain focused on completing the station’s redevelopment and improving passenger service rather than debating a name change.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Both China and the Philippines said this week they were working towards completing a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea by the end of the year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Any successful community depends on its members completing the right jobs at the right time.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
After completing her shift at the convalescent home, she now worked a four-hour shift at the supermarket, often not getting off work until one a.m.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
