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

Examples of auto-complete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Trump accused Google of censoring auto-complete suggestions related to the shooting. Emily Price, PCMAG, 3 Aug. 2024 From Amazon product suggestions to Google auto-complete, AI has invaded nearly every aspect of our lives. Big Think, 24 June 2024 Even adding auto-complete to Apple’s developer tools would be a desirable feature. Michael Muchmore, PCMAG, 5 June 2024 With a bevy of helpful quality of life features like code auto-complete, collaboration tools and more, Microsoft's first 64-bit IDE is powerful and efficient. K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 31 May 2024 Make sure customers can search by category, SKU or use-case, and consider adding an auto-complete function to quickly populate the search box with product suggestions as a user starts to type. 2. Yoav Kutner, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 In the case of our magic auto-complete, a more correct answer means output text that is more likely to follow the input. Haomiao Huang, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2023 Further improvements to the user interface—including the kind of auto-complete software that’s standard on smartphones—should boost performance dramatically. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2017 Google’s auto-complete suggestions in Gmail, for example, have been found to express a more positive sentiment overall than what many people would naturally express if left to simply write on their own. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 16 May 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 31 Oct. 2024.

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