complete

[ kuhm-pleet ]

/ kəmˈplit /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

complementary strand, complementary wavelength, complementation, complemented, complementizer, complete, complete antibody, complete antigen, complete blood count, complete carcinogen, complete denture

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 MORE SYNONYMS FOR complete ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR complete

1 partial.

3 defective.

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Related forms

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

Synonym study

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

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for completing

Across the country, high school seniors are in the throes of completing college applications before looming deadlines.
Forget the Kids Who Can’t Get In; What About Those Who Don’t Even Apply?|Jonah Edelman|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Regardless, Caro had run out of money and was two years or more from completing the book.
‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece|Scott Porch|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As symptoms progress, individuals with this disease may have trouble walking, talking, or completing other daily activities.
The Burden Robin Williams Carried: Diagnosed With Parkinson’s and Depression|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Within hours of completing their takeover of Sinjar, the Sayyida Zaynab mosque, a Shia holy site, was reportedly blown up.
Iraq’s Religious Minorities are Being Slaughtered and ISIS Just Captured the Last Town Giving Them Shelter|Andrew Slater|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Completing the motion, Howe pulled the puck back to his own left and backhanded it hard into the open side of the net.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I thought——" Here he stopped short, the worthy man was quite incapable at that moment of completing his sentence.
The Slaves of the Padishah|Mr Jkai
She was desirous of completing it before the next morning, which was that of her aunt's birthday.
Thomas Wingfold, Curate|George MacDonald
Some other of our Augustinian brothers will take charge of completing the education of the novice, somehow or other.
The Pocket Bible or Christian the Printer|Eugne Sue
M. P. has attended school a little less than three years and is completing fourth grade.
The Measurement of Intelligence|Lewis Madison Terman
"I think that you should look to this, Mr. Gilmore," said the Marquis, completing his harangue.
The Vicar of Bullhampton|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for completing

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

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

Word Origin and History for completing (1 of 2)

complete

adj.

late 14c., from Old French complet "full," or directly from Latin completus, past participle of complere "to fill up, complete the number of (a legion, etc.)," transferred to "to fill, to fulfill, to finish (a task)," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + plere "to fill" (see pleio-).

Word Origin and History for completing (1 of 2)

complete

late 14c.; see complete (adj.). Related: Completed; completing.

complete

adjective

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

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of complete

Synonym study

Usage note

Examples from the Web for completing

British Dictionary definitions for completing

complete

adjective

verb (tr)

Word Origin for complete

Word Origin and History for completing (1 of 2)

complete

Word Origin and History for completing (1 of 2)

complete