complete

[ kuhm-pleet ]

adjective

1. having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full:

   a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.

   Synonyms: unbroken

   Antonyms: partial

2. finished; ended; concluded:

   a complete orbit.

3. having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality:

   a complete scholar.

   Antonyms: defective

4. thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified:

   a complete victory;

   a complete mess.

5. Grammar. having all modifying or complementary elements included: Compare simple ( def 20 ).

   The complete subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “The dappled pony.”

6. Also completed. Football. (of a forward pass) caught by a receiver.
7. 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. Compare incomplete ( def 4b ).
8. 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. Compare incomplete ( def 3 ), redundant ( def 7c ).
9. (of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.
10. Mathematics.
    1. 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.
    2. of or relating to a set in which every fundamental sequence converges to an element of the set. Compare fundamental sequence ( def ).
    3. (of a lattice) having the property that every subset has a least upper bound and a greatest lower bound.

verb (used with object)

, com·plet·ed, com·plet·ing.

1. to make whole or entire:

   I need three more words to complete the puzzle.

   Synonyms: close, conclude, terminate, achieve, accomplish, perfect, consummate

2. to make perfect:

   His parting look of impotent rage completed my revenge.

3. to bring to an end; finish:

   Has he completed his new novel yet?

4. to consummate.
5. Football. to execute (a forward pass) successfully:

   He completed 17 passes in 33 attempts.

complete

/ kəmˈpliːt /

adjective

1. having every necessary part or element; entire
2. ended; finished
3. prenominal thorough; absolute

   he is a complete rogue

4. perfect in quality or kind

   he is a complete scholar

5. See consistent
   (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
6. (of flowers) having sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels
7. archaic.
   expert or skilled; accomplished

verb

1. to make whole or perfect
2. to end; finish
3. (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
4. American football (of a quarterback) to make a forward pass successfully

Usage Note

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. perfect, unique.

Derived Forms

• comˈpleteness, noun
• comˈpletive, adjective
• comˈpletion, noun
• comˈpletely, adverb
• comˈpleter, noun

Other Words From

• com·plet·a·ble adjective
• com·plet·ed·ness noun
• com·plete·ly adverb
• com·plete·ness noun
• com·plet·er noun
• com·ple·tive adjective
• com·ple·tive·ly adverb
• half-com·plet·ed adjective
• pre·com·plete·ness noun
• qua·si-com·plete adjective
• sub·com·plete adjective
• sub·com·plete·ness noun
• un·com·plet·a·ble adjective
• un·com·plete adjective
• un·com·plete·ness noun
• un·com·plet·ed adjective
• well-com·plet·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of complete¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of complete¹

C14: from Latin complētus, past participle of complēre to fill up; see complement

Example Sentences

Glenn provided specific cases where more data would have helped site owners, and he provided a way for you to get involved by including a poll in the story that you can complete.

From Search Engine Land

After it completes this demographic of 30 million people, the government will roll out the vaccine for those above 50 years, and those below 50 but with co-morbidities.

From Quartz

That run under Gibbs was a masterful exhibition of building a complete team around the position, and Washington thrived during an era in which many teams managed to lift the Lombardi Trophy without needing a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback.

From Washington Post

On Tuesday, Liang and an official from China’s National Health Commission declared the China leg of the WHO probe complete and called for its scope to be expanded globally to answer the origin question.

From Washington Post

When they can’t see your face as well or they can’t read your lips as well, that may be a challenge because they can’t hear you accurately to complete the cognitive testing.

From Washington Post

He then provides some insight into his psyche - complete with Animal House reference.

From The Daily Beast

Complete male reproductive independence would also hinge on artificial womb technology, which also made headlines in 2014.

From The Daily Beast

Occasionally, a level will take 20 or more strokes to complete.

From The Daily Beast

Still, McGee never trusts him enough to tell the complete story of what happened that day.

From The Daily Beast

Sullivan has by then moved in to help and he seeks to complete the arrest of the first man.

From The Daily Beast

However this be, it is hard to say that these fibs have that clear intention to deceive which constitutes a complete lie.

From Project Gutenberg

He became a doctor in two hours, and it only cost him twenty dollars to complete his education.

From Project Gutenberg

Prud'hon, in humiliation and despair, lived in a solitude almost complete.

From Project Gutenberg

He staggered along with much difficulty and managed to complete half of it by Christmas.

From Project Gutenberg

A culture which was complete one thousand years before Adam must have needed many thousands of years to develop.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• close
• conclude
• determine
• develop
• do
• end
• execute
• finalize
• finish
• halt
• perform
• realize
• settle
• wrap up

When To Use

What are other ways to say complete?

Something that is complete has all its parts or elements, or has been finished or concluded. How does complete compare to synonyms entire, intact, and perfect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.