completion
Americannoun
-
completions
plural
-
the act of completing.
- Synonyms:
- closing, ending, termination
-
the state of being completed.
-
conclusion; fulfillment.
Her last novel represented the completion of her literary achievement.
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Football. a forward pass that has been completed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of completion
First recorded in 1650–60, completion is from the Late Latin word complētiōn- (stem of complētiō ). See complete, -ion
Explanation
When something comes to completion, it's finished. In football, a pass that's been caught is called a completion. If a wide receiver has a lot of completions, then he had a good day: that means he caught a lot of passes. But if the receiver is out of bounds or drops the ball, then there's no completion. Quarterbacks are judged by their completion rate, too. Off the gridiron, you can use the word completion to talk about anything that's been completed or achieved. Graduation day marks the completion of high school. The completion of a new building or a PhD can take years.
Vocabulary lists containing completion
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ion, -tion, -ation
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5
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"CLEP Principles of Management," Vocabulary from Chapter 13
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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:
That allowed quarterback Lamar Jackson to make a long completion and stop the clock to set up the game-winning kick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Their first pass, a completion to tight end Charlie Kolar, was fumbled away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion shortly in the hurricane warning area," the center said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
The government said the completion of works on Friday showed "just how serious" it was about tackling waste crime and restoring affected countryside.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Finally, with the completion of Japan’s first chronicle, in A.D.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
While Washington tied for third in the conference last season in interceptions with nine, the signal-caller set school records for freshman completions and passing yards, throwing for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Statistics show many more attempts at estate recovery than completions, so this strategy works for a lot of people, whether they do it wittingly or not.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Covid aside, completions have been higher in recent years, but they still need to accelerate somewhat if the target is to be met.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
He finished with 346 passing yards, three touchdowns and several clutch completions down the stretch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
He went looking for court rulings, deal completions, or government regulatory changes—anything that might change the value of a company.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
