complete
Americanadjective
-
having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full.
a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.
- Synonyms:
- unbroken
- Antonyms:
- partial
-
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
-
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.
-
(of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.
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Mathematics.
-
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.
-
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.
-
verb (used with object)
-
completes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
completed,
past participle, past
-
completing
present participle
-
to make whole or entire.
I need three more words to complete the puzzle.
- Synonyms:
- close, conclude, terminate, achieve, accomplish, perfect, consummate
-
to make perfect.
His parting look of impotent rage completed my revenge.
-
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
-
having every necessary part or element; entire
-
ended; finished
-
(prenominal) thorough; absolute
he is a complete rogue
-
perfect in quality or kind
he is a complete scholar
-
(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
-
(of flowers) having sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels
-
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
-
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
-
completesimple
-
completessimple
-
have completedperfect
-
has completedperfect
-
am completingprogressive
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are completingprogressive
-
is completingprogressive
-
have been completingperfect progressive
-
has been completingperfect progressive
Past
-
completedsimple
-
had completedperfect
-
was completingprogressive
-
were completingprogressive
-
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:
The longer a quantum operation takes to complete, the more time there is for those errors to build up.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
We have no problem using AI ourselves to complete tasks faster and help navigate social encounters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Companies generally have 12 months to complete an IPO in Hong Kong after filing an application, but investors are now concerned that regulatory delays risk scuttling Galaxea’s listing, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“It’s the most complete mastodon molar from our area, and the most spectacular mastodon molar that I’ve ever seen,” Wayne Thompson, a paleontologist and owner of the firm Pacific Paleontology, said in the news release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
There would be no historical single slide across the river, no amazing story to tell, and no impromptu celebration complete with blackberry Snow Delights.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Having sales associates offer personal styling services completes the illusion of shopping in a far more upscale store.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
A French security source told AFP the agency would keep using the software in the meantime, since it cannot afford operational disruptions while ChapsVision's tool completes development.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The signing of Carlos Baleba completes a £155m summer revamp of Manchester United's midfield.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The board intends to explore a public-private model, with funding sources, amounts and any cost sharing determined only after an outside consultant completes an analysis and presents recommendations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
“She’s missed 4 homework assignments. I have a feeling that she completes the assignments but perhaps forgets them at home or on the bus.”
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
The AlloESO-T system also builds on manufacturing work already completed by Yang's laboratory for its CAR-NKT platform, a separate off-the-shelf immunotherapy strategy.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Our study did not require parents and children to interact directly; it was an online, remote survey that each person completed separately and independently.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
"The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island, which is located in the middle of the strait," he added, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
He also ranked in the top three for dribbles completed per match.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“The tower is so beautiful that when Eiffel completed it, people complained that he was so focused on artistry that he ignored engineering,” she explained.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Catherine, Princess of Wales has visited the hospital where she was treated for cancer after completing a charity climb to help fund a new unit there earlier this year.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The startup is completing work on its flagship product, an AI processor called Asimov, which is integrated into a server called Titan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The USC quarterback had one of the most precise performances of his Trojans tenure, completing 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Events unfolded as Everton's most creative player Iliman Ndiaye was completing his £65m move to Manchester City.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
But the real prize for completing the quest was an incredibly rare artifact: Hayata’s Beta Capsule.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
