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.
-
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.
-
verb (used with object)
-
completes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
completed,
past participle, past
-
completing
present participle
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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
-
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
-
having every necessary part or element; entire
-
ended; finished
-
(prenominal) thorough; absolute
he is a complete rogue
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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
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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
-
completesimple
-
completessimple
-
have completedperfect
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has completedperfect
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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
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 large bedroom and full bathroom complete this gorgeous Greenwich Village retreat,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Nvidia said the pattern across recent incidents was the same: agents were able to circumvent safety controls in sandboxes—environments in which developers test models—and complete their tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The new species, Tamirkhan balcarceli, was discovered in the eastern Gobi Desert and is the most complete zhelestid specimen found so far.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
The 407-foot-tall rocket is embarking on a nearly 10-hour mission in which it is to complete six orbits around the Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
When his list was complete, he should begin pointing to each number in turn.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
A poster from the Gold Over America Tour, which Biles launched in September 2021 following the Tokyo Olympics, completes the trio of framed achievements.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
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
Wrath of The Gods completes Robin Hardy's Wicker trilogy and is dedicated to Justin's mother Caroline, who was a secret uncredited executive producer on the original 1973 film.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
It screeches and shudders from lack of use until it finally completes its noisy path.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Instead, LA28 released only broad categories of the work completed — such as “engineering consulting services,” “mascot design and production” and “office buildout.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The day after that meeting, Robinson completed eight weeks of intense pledging and was initiated into Delta Upsilon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
During that period, participants repeatedly completed psychological assessments and provided stool and urine samples.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
But Lamar Jackson then completed a 27-yard pass down the middle to get the Ravens within field-goal range and Tyler Loop made a 56-yard kick as time expired to win the game 34-31.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
After the French Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy, it completed its final transformation into a museum, a monument for the new French Republic.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
The 28-year-old put his hands on his head in disbelief as he crossed the line 13 seconds clear of the chasing pack, completing the gruelling 273.4km course in six hours and 17 minutes.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
With 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 75% of his passes this season, Orange High’s junior quarterback has rarely faltered when dropping back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
It barred the Order from completing the route that year and has consistently rejected subsequent applications.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
There are many hurdles, however, to consistently completing and proving the 80 hours of work per month needed, the researchers said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
"No, my dear. Not today. You must bond with Princess Sophia. Soon you will be completing all the beauty work for the entire family."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
