complete

1 of 2

adjective

com·plete kəm-ˈplēt

completer; completest

: having all necessary parts, elements, or steps

a complete diet

of a protein : containing all essential amino acids

Beans and grains combined together form a complete protein.

: total, absolute

complete silence

: fully carried out : thorough

a complete renovation

of a football pass : legally caught

: brought to an end : concluded

a complete period of time

: highly proficient

a complete artist

of a subject or predicate : including modifiers, complements, or objects

of insect metamorphosis : characterized by the occurrence of a pupal stage between the motile immature stages and the adult compare incomplete sense 3

: having all four sets of floral organs

of a metric space : having the property that every Cauchy sequence of elements converges to a limit in the space

completely adverb

completeness noun

completive

kəm-ˈplē-tiv

adjective

complete

2 of 2

verb

completed; completing

transitive verb

: to bring to an end and especially into a perfected state

complete a painting

: to make whole or perfect

Its song completes the charm of the bird.

Her latest purchase completes her collection.

: to mark the end of

A rousing chorus completes the show.

: execute, fulfill

complete a contract

: to carry out (a forward pass) successfully

The quarterback completed 12 out of 18 passes.

Phrases

complete with

: made complete by the inclusion of

a birthday cake complete with candles

Choose the Right Synonym for complete

Adjective

full, complete, plenary, replete mean containing all that is wanted or needed or possible.

full implies the presence or inclusion of everything that is wanted or required by something or that can be held, contained, or attained by it.

a full schedule

complete applies when all that is needed is present.

a complete picture of the situation

plenary adds to complete the implication of fullness without qualification.

given plenary power

replete implies being filled to the brim or to satiety.

replete with delightful details

Verb

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit.

close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Example Sentences

Adjective He spoke in complete sentences. They sat in complete silence. Verb The project took four months to complete. Her latest purchase completes her collection. The new baby completed their family. The quarterback completed 12 out of 15 passes. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Reconciliation, a process mandated by Arizona state law, starts once the voting is complete and the electronic results and electronic poll book information are in the possession of an election official.

Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2022 Of course, no outfit is complete without the right handbag, and there are so many designer brands with vibrant colors included in these epic markdowns.

Lauren Fischer, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2022 After research is complete, the coin will likely go on display at The Rooms, a natural and cultural history museum in the province.

Jacquelyne Germain, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Nov. 2022 As soon as the transaction was complete, the caller hung up.

John Benson, cleveland, 22 Nov. 2022 No cheese platter is complete without a striking serving board.

Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 22 Nov. 2022 Ivey also requested that Marshall not seek additional execution dates for any other death row inmates until the review is complete.

CBS News, 21 Nov. 2022 Ivey also requested that Marshall not seek additional execution dates for any other death row inmates until the review is complete.

Jay Reeves, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Nov. 2022 Not all the honorees are players who will have exhausted their academic eligibility after the 2022 season is complete.

oregonlive, 21 Nov. 2022

Verb

Students will have the option to complete the final three weeks of the semester through remote or in-person learning.

Suryatapa Bhattacharya, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2022 Fill out your name, email address, and other information to complete pre-registration.

cleveland, 23 Nov. 2022 The case will be handed to the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office to see if charges are warranted once police complete their investigation.

Fox 19 Digital, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2022 Both Drew and the actor, who is known for his muscular physique, then remove their shirts — but not their safety goggles — to complete the demolition.

Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2022 For students who have been putting off that personal essay, or haven’t had a chance to complete necessary forms, here are some tips to keep in mind as college application season comes to an end.

al, 21 Nov. 2022 The quarterback was rushed and had no chance to complete the fourth down pass which was intended for Andre Johnson.

Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2022 Not everyone was going to need or even have the intelligence to complete an algebra course, Kilpatrick reasoned.

Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2022 Police officials agreed to make the program more transparent, including by complying with the city auditor’s suggestion to complete a statistics-rich comprehensive report — the first since 2013.

David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'complete.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English complet, compleet, complete, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French complet, borrowed from Latin complētus, past participle of complēre "to fill, make up, carry to completion," from com- com- + plēre "to fill" — more at full entry 1

Note: The simplex plēre is only attested in an inscription of 176/77 A.D., as a gerund, and in a comment of the grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus, that "the ancients also used to say plentur without prefixes" ("plentur antiqui etiam sine praepositionibus dicebant"). If such a verb existed, it was replaced at an early date by prefixed compounds such as complēre, in which the prefix marks perfective aspect.

Verb

Middle English completen, derivative of complet complete entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of complete was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Complete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complete. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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Kids Definition

complete

1 of 2 adjective

com·plete kəm-ˈplēt

completer; completest

: possessing all necessary parts : entire

a complete set of books

a complete diet

: brought to an end : having been completed

five complete days

: being such to the fullest degree : thorough, absolute

complete freedom

a complete failure

of a football pass : legally caught

completely adverb

completeness noun

complete

2 of 2 verb

completed; completing

: to bring to an end : accomplish or achieve fully

complete a job

: to make whole or perfect

the shoes complete the outfit

Medical Definition

complete

adjective

com·plete kəm-ˈplēt

of insect metamorphosis : characterized by the occurrence of a pupal stage between the motile immature stages and the adult compare incomplete sense 1