complete

[ kuhm-pleet ]

/ kəmˈplit /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR complete ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full: a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.

finished; ended; concluded: a complete orbit.

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

thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified: a complete victory; a complete mess.

Grammar. having all modifying or complementary elements included: The complete subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “The dappled pony.”Compare simple (def. 20).

Also completed. Football. (of a forward pass) caught by a receiver.

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).

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. 5c).

(of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.

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.Compare fundamental sequence.
(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.

to make whole or entire: I need three more words to complete the puzzle.

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?

to consummate.

Football. to execute (a forward pass) successfully: He completed 17 passes in 33 attempts.

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Question 1 of 9

“I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”

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Origin of complete

1325–75; Middle English (<Middle French ) <Latin complētus (past participle of complēre to fill up, fulfill, equivalent to com-com- + plē-fill + -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR complete

1 unbroken, unimpaired, undivided.

3 developed.

11 conclude, consummate, perfect, accomplish, achieve.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR complete ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR complete

1 partial.

3 defective.

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synonym study for complete

1-3. Complete, entire, intact, perfect imply that there is no lack or defect, nor has any part been removed. Complete implies that a certain unit has all its parts, fully developed or perfected, and may apply to a process or purpose carried to fulfillment: a complete explanation. Entire means whole, having unbroken unity: an entire book. Intact implies retaining completeness and original condition: a package delivered intact. Perfect emphasizes not only completeness but also high quality and absence of defects or blemishes: a perfect diamond.

usage note for complete

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 WORDS FROM complete

com·plet·a·ble, adjectivecom·plet·ed·ness, nouncom·plete·ly, adverbcom·plete·ness, noun

com·plet·er, nouncom·ple·tive, adjectivecom·ple·tive·ly, adverbhalf-com·plet·ed, adjectivepre·com·plete·ness, nounqua·si-com·plete, adjectivequa·si-com·plete·ly, adverbsub·com·plete, adjectivesub·com·plete·ly, adverbsub·com·plete·ness, nounun·com·plet·a·ble, adjectiveun·com·plete, adjectiveun·com·plete·ly, adverbun·com·plete·ness, nounun·com·plet·ed, adjectivewell-com·plet·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for complete

Round and round in circles, no loose ends left over, and it all made for a comforting sense of completeness.
What It Was Like to Watch the Beatles Become the Beatles—Nik Cohn Remembers|Nik Cohn|February 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For completeness, one must also consider the large group of people—the hay-fever crowd—who are allergic to mold.
Hurricane Sandy Won’t Bring a Mold Epidemic|Kent Sepkowitz|November 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But now she felt the completeness of a nature clothed in armour that rendered it impregnable.
The Garden Of Allah|Robert Hichens
Still more surprising is the elegance and completeness of the decoration.
A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I (of 2)|Georges Perrot

The narration, with any approach to completeness, of the story of the campaign against Vicksburg would require a volume.
Ulysses S. Grant|Walter Allen
He had the revelation in part; we have it in its completeness.
The World's Great Sermons, Volume 7: Hale to Farrar|Various
And then she noted a startling lack of completeness in the bride's hand.
Excuse Me!|Rupert Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for complete

complete

/ (kəmˈpliːt) /

adjective

having every necessary part or element; entire

ended; finished

(prenominal) thorough; absolutehe is a complete rogue

perfect in quality or kindhe 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 systemCompare consistent (def. 5)

(of flowers) having sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels

archaic expert or skilled; accomplished

verb (tr)

to make whole or perfect

to end; finish

(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

American football (of a quarterback) to make a forward pass successfully

Derived forms of complete

completely, adverbcompleteness, nouncompleter, nouncompletion, noun

completive, adjective

Word Origin for complete

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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complete

adjective

verb (used with object), com·plet·ed, com·plet·ing.

QUIZZES

WHO SAID IT: A QUIZ ON PRESIDENTIAL WIT AND WISDOM

Origin of complete

SYNONYMS FOR complete

ANTONYMS FOR complete

synonym study for complete

usage note for complete

OTHER WORDS FROM complete

Example sentences from the Web for complete

British Dictionary definitions for complete

adjective

verb (tr)

Derived forms of complete

Word Origin for complete

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

complete

adjective

verb (used with object), com·plet·ed, com·plet·ing.

QUIZZES

WHO SAID IT: A QUIZ ON PRESIDENTIAL WIT AND WISDOM

Origin of complete

SYNONYMS FOR complete

ANTONYMS FOR complete

synonym study for complete

usage note for complete

OTHER WORDS FROM complete

Words related to complete

Example sentences from the Web for complete

British Dictionary definitions for complete

adjective

verb (tr)

Derived forms of complete

Word Origin for complete