incomplete

[ in-kuhm-pleet ]

adjective

1. not complete; lacking some part.

   Synonyms: fragmentary, partial, unfinished

2. Football. (of a forward pass) not completed; not caught by a receiver.
3. Engineering. noting a truss the panel points of which are not entirely connected so as to form a system of triangles. Compare complete ( def 8 ), redundant ( def 7c ).
4. Logic, Philosophy.
   1. (of an expression or symbol) meaningful only in a specific context.
   2. (of a set of axioms) such that there is at least one true proposition (able to be formulated in terms of the basic ideas of a given system) that is not deducible from the set. Compare complete ( def 7 ).

noun

1. Education. a temporary grade indicating that a student has not fulfilled one or more of the essential requirements for a course:

   If I don't hand in my term paper for last semester's English course, the professor is going to change my incomplete to an F.

incomplete

/ ˌɪnkəmˈpliːt /

adjective

1. not complete or finished
2. not completely developed; imperfect
3. logic
   1. (of a formal theory) not so constructed that the addition of a non-theorem to the axioms renders it inconsistent
   2. (of an expression) not having a reference of its own but requiring completion by another expression

Derived Forms

• ˌincomˈpletely, adverb
• ˌincomˈpleteness, noun

Other Words From

• incom·pletely adverb
• incom·pleteness noun
• subin·com·plete adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incomplete¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word incomplētus. See in- ³, complete

Example Sentences

While they speak of things like “justice,” the Piltover politicians and police do so with an incomplete understanding of the word because they regard Zaun life as cheap.

From Salon

He appreciated the way the number distills a complex dramatic scene into lyrics, collapsing “past, present and future in a packaged song form” that records the witness testimony of those who had incomplete knowledge of the fateful treaty signing that will redirect not just the fate of a nation but the course of world history.

From Los Angeles Times

Stafford’s third down pass fell incomplete, however, and Karty’s short field goal cut the deficit to 20-12.

From Los Angeles Times

But this “turnaround” is still incomplete and riddled with problems, according to Mr Martin.

From BBC

But junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun told the BBC "there could be a delay if the necessary documents are incomplete".

From BBC

Related Words

• deficient
• fragmentary
• inadequate
• insufficient
• lacking
• partial
• sketchy