completion
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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:
The operation to recover a ship which ran aground off the coast of Pembrokeshire is nearing completion.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
At least five members of Flores’ unit were assigned to home pending the completion of an internal affairs probe, officials said at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Following completion, Bahnhof will continue to operate under its own brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
London-listed ITV said Monday that it will receive 1.2 billion pounds in cash upon completion of the deal before additional performance related add-ons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Once fertilization is accomplished and cell division has begun, the supply of energy in the form of ATP will largely determine whether the development of the embryo will proceed to completion.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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
Anam Petit, who served as an immigration judge in Virginia until September, said the administration’s emphasis on speedy case completions has to be balanced against the constitutional right to a fair hearing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a quiet game with just 130 passing yards and no touchdowns from 12 completions.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
A week after he completed just nine passes total against Nebraska, Maiava had nine completions on the first possession alone Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2025
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.
