auto-complete

noun

au·​to-com·​plete ˈȯ-(ˌ)tō-kəm-ˈplēt How to pronounce auto-complete (audio)
variants or autocomplete
: a feature found in many computer programs (such as those used for data entry, email editing, Internet searches, or word processing) that attempts to predict and automatically complete the current word or phrase as it is being entered by the program's user

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Previous studies have apparently found a similar phenomenon even for simple systems such as auto-complete. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 16 May 2023 Additionally, the world is becoming more automated: Email messages auto-complete, subscription services auto-renew, and any product under the sun is a single click away. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2022 Last year Microsoft released a coding tool that uses GPT to auto-complete chunks of code for a programmer. Will Knight, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'auto-complete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of auto-complete was in 1992

Dictionary Entries Near auto-complete

Cite this Entry

“Auto-complete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auto-complete. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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