complete
Americanadjective
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having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full.
a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.
- Synonyms:
- unbroken
- Antonyms:
- partial
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a complete orbit.
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having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality.
a complete scholar.
- Antonyms:
- defective
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thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified.
a complete victory;
a complete mess.
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Grammar. having all modifying or complementary elements included.
The complete subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “The dappled pony.”
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Football. Also completed. (of a forward pass) caught by a receiver.
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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.
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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.
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(of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.
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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.
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of or relating to a set in which every fundamental sequence converges to an element of the set.
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(of a lattice) having the property that every subset has a least upper bound and a greatest lower bound.
-
verb (used with object)
-
completes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
completed,
past participle, past
-
completing
present participle
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to make whole or entire.
I need three more words to complete the puzzle.
- Synonyms:
- close, conclude, terminate, achieve, accomplish, perfect, consummate
-
to make perfect.
His parting look of impotent rage completed my revenge.
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to bring to an end; finish.
Has he completed his new novel yet?
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to consummate.
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Football. to execute (a forward pass) successfully.
He completed 17 passes in 33 attempts.
adjective
-
having every necessary part or element; entire
-
ended; finished
-
(prenominal) thorough; absolute
he is a complete rogue
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perfect in quality or kind
he is a complete scholar
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(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
-
(of flowers) having sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels
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archaic expert or skilled; accomplished
verb
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to make whole or perfect
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to end; finish
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(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
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American football (of a quarterback) to make a forward pass successfully
Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
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completednessnoun
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completenessnoun
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completernoun
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completionnoun
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precompletenessnoun
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subcompletenessnoun
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uncompletenessnoun
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completableadjective
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completiveadjective
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half-completedadjective
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quasi-completeadjective
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subcompleteadjective
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uncompletableadjective
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uncompleteadjective
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uncompletedadjective
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well-completedadjective
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completelyadverb
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completivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
completesimple
-
completessimple
-
have completedperfect
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has completedperfect
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am completingprogressive
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are completingprogressive
-
is completingprogressive
-
have been completingperfect progressive
-
has been completingperfect progressive
Past
-
completedsimple
-
had completedperfect
-
was completingprogressive
-
were completingprogressive
-
had been completingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of complete
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
Explanation
Complete means that something is finished, or has all of its necessary parts. When the mechanic hands you your keys, you hope that the work on your car is complete, and he hasn't left out a few important pieces of your engine. Complete can be used as an adjective to describe something that is whole or finished, like a complete turkey dinner, which includes not only the bird, but also the stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Another way to use complete is as a verb meaning to make something whole. Adding candles completes the birthday cake.
Vocabulary lists containing complete
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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:
Chelsea had completed all the necessary paperwork for Camara and did not need to submit a deal sheet - a request to the Premier League for additional time to complete a transfer, post the deadline.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
The much larger Tilenga site is 74 percent complete, she added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
“It’s amazing to see how willing students are to talk in his classrooms, how little afraid they feel of being mocked or put down—he gets complete candor out of them.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
On average, families complete the five-year program with $8,500 in savings, according to Compass Working Capital, one of the HUD partners that administers the program and also provides financial coaching to tenants who participate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Handsome turned his head toward Duane with an expression of complete bewilderment.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
The move completes SK Telecom’s plan to establish an AI data-center infrastructure business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
And if the Senegal international agrees personal terms and completes the switch to Villa his arrival is likely to trigger England international Ollie Watkins' move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
March 16: The Boeing 737 MAX 7 successfully completes its first voyage from Renton, Washington.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
England fan completes challenge dribbling ball from Africa.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
He cleans up the next three questions and completes round four, keeping us in first place.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
The judge said at the time that if he completed the terms of his probation, he could reduce the felony conviction to a misdemeanor and have both charges expunged from his record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
It also recently completed its acquisition of the AI startup Cursor, which Horan called “transformative,” helping SpaceX develop its models and generate additional revenue.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
The newest was completed in 1977; roughly a quarter were built more than a century ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
However, the closure has been deferred until the remaining residents have been relocated and arrangements for independent living have been completed.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Once they completed their work, it was time to raise the now historic vessel.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Jones rallied back in the decider, claiming the decisive break at 2-1 before completing the victory - just her second at Grand Slam level.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Hindus believe completing the circuit carries great spiritual significance and helps cleanse sins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported an incident on Monday of a tanker being struck by three unknown projectiles while completing its transit of the key waterway.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Rather than attempting to replace damaged liver tissue directly, future therapies might try to interrupt the inflammatory signals that prevent cells from completing regeneration.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
After learning more about chickens and completing Lessons 1 and 2, you may wish to retake the quiz or write a 1,000-word essay on why you ought to be able to keep chickens.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
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.
