First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1complete
adjective com·plete \kəm-ˈplēt\
: having all necessary parts : not lacking anything
: not limited in any way
: not requiring more work : entirely done or completed
com·plet·ercom·plet·est
Full Definition of COMPLETE
1
a : having all necessary parts, elements, or steps <a complete diet> b : having all four sets of floral organs c of a subject or predicate : including modifiers, complements, or objects
2
: brought to an end : concluded <a complete period of time>
3
: highly proficient <a complete artist>
4
5
of insect metamorphosis : characterized by the occurrence of a pupal stage between the motile immature stages and the adult — compare incomplete 1b
6
of a metric space : having the property that every Cauchy sequence of elements converges to a limit in the space
— com·plete·ly adverb
— com·plete·ness noun
— com·ple·tive \-ˈplē-tiv\ adjective
— complete with
: made complete by the inclusion of <a birthday cake complete with candles>
See complete defined for English-language learners
See complete defined for kids
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Origin of COMPLETE
Middle English complet, from Latin completus, from past participle of complēre
Related to COMPLETE
Synonym Discussion of COMPLETE
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>.
Rhymes with COMPLETE
accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, browbeat, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, elite, en suite, entreat, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heartbeat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, maltreat, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat
2complete
verb
: to finish making or doing (something) : to bring (something) to an end or to a finished state
: to make (something) whole or perfect
American football : to throw (a forward pass) to a teammate who catches it
com·plet·edcom·plet·ing
Full Definition of COMPLETE
transitive verb
1
: to bring to an end and especially into a perfected state <complete a painting>
2
3
: to carry out (a forward pass) successfully
See complete defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of COMPLETE
15th century
Related to COMPLETE
- Synonyms
- finish, consummate, finalize, perfect, polish
- Antonyms
- begin, commence, inaugurate, open, start
Synonym Discussion of COMPLETE
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>.
COMPLETE Defined for Kids
1complete
adjective com·plete \kəm-ˈplēt\
Definition of COMPLETE for Kids
1
: having all necessary parts : not lacking anything <a complete set of books>
2
: entirely done <His training is complete.>
Word Root of COMPLETE
The Latin word plēre, meaning “to fill,” gives us the root ple. Words from the Latin plēre have something to do with filling or being full. Anything replete with something is full of that particular thing or quality. Something complete is totally full and finished. To deplete is to lessen the amount of something that was once full. A supplement is something that fills in something that is missing.
2complete
verb
com·plet·edcom·plet·ing
Definition of COMPLETE for Kids
1
: to bring to an end : finish <complete a job>
2
: to make whole or perfect <He needs six more state flags to complete his collection.>
Medical Dictionary
complete
adjective com·plete \kəm-ˈplēt\
Medical Definition of COMPLETE
1
of insect metamorphosis : characterized by the occurrence of a pupal stage between the motile immature stages and the adult—compare incomplete 1
2
of a bone fracture : characterized by a break passing entirely across the bone—compare incomplete 2
Learn More About COMPLETE
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