complete

adjective

com·plete | \ kəm-ˈplēt

completer; completest

Definition of complete

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : having all necessary parts, elements, or steps a complete diet

b of a protein : containing all essential amino acids Beans and grains combined together form a complete protein.

2a : total, absolute complete silence

b : fully carried out : thorough a complete renovation

c of a football pass : legally caught

3 : brought to an end : concluded a complete period of time

4 : highly proficient a complete artist

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

6 of insect metamorphosis : characterized by the occurrence of a pupal stage between the motile immature stages and the adult — compare incomplete sense 2

7 : having all four sets of floral organs

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

complete with

: made complete by the inclusion of a birthday cake complete with candles

complete

verb

completed; completing

Definition of complete (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to bring to an end and especially into a perfected state complete a painting

2a : to make whole or perfect Its song completes the charm of the bird. Her latest purchase completes her collection.

b : to mark the end of A rousing chorus completes the show.

c : execute, fulfill complete a contract

3 : to carry out (a forward pass) successfully The quarterback completed 12 out of 18 passes.

Other Words from complete Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about complete

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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

Examples of complete in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Five of the autopsies were complete as of last week, while three were undergoing further toxicological analysis with the help from the FBI because of the circumstances of the deaths. — NBC News, "U.S. alcohol agency should investigate Dominican Republic deaths, top Democrat says," 30 June 2019 Five of the autopsies were complete as of last week, while three were undergoing further toxicological analysis with the help from the FBI because of the circumstances of the deaths. — Washington Post, "Schumer: ATF should investigate Dominican Republic deaths," 30 June 2019 Five of the autopsies were complete as of last week, while three were undergoing further toxicological analysis with the help from the FBI because of the circumstances of the deaths. — CBS News, "Schumer asks ATF to join investigation into deaths in the Dominican Republic," 30 June 2019 The elegant ivory ballgown was complete with layers of tulle that wrap together in front for a plunging, strapless sweetheart neckline. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Katharine McPhee Switches to Elegant Blue Dress at Wedding Reception with David Foster," 29 June 2019 Of course, the Matthews' household wouldn't have been complete without Cory's best friend, Shawn, along with his childhood sweetheart, Topanga. — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "Here's What Really Happened to the 'Boy Meets World' House," 28 June 2019 This repair work is expected to be complete by 2020 and will result in more reliable escalators and access. — Gary Richards, The Mercury News, "BART’s bike-escalator crunch may be addressed: Roadshow," 28 June 2019 Construction on the first ring of Kentucky’s troubled internet project is now complete, Gov. Matt Bevin and U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers announced at a joint news conference in Lexington Friday. — Alfred Miller, The Courier-Journal, "KentuckyWired project overcomes squirrels to complete long-delayed initial phase," 28 June 2019 By the time that revolution was complete, humanity had learned that Earth is not the center of the universe but simply a planet circling an ordinary star, one of countless stars in a galaxy that is one of countless galaxies. — Adam Kirsch, WSJ, "Our Quest for Meaning in the Heavens," 28 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Colorado Avalanche completed a trade Monday evening that sent defenseman Tyson Barrie and forward Alexander Kerfoot to the Toronto Maple Leafs. — Matt L. Stephens, The Denver Post, "Avalanche trades Tyson Barrie, Alex Kerfoot to Toronto Maple Leafs," 1 July 2019 Wilson completed his probation in the case in 2014. — Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, "Man turns himself in after fatal St. Paul shooting as 39-year-old dad is mourned," 1 July 2019 The drug store completed its nearly $4.4 billion acquisition of more than 1,900 Rite Aid stores and three distribution centers in March, although the stores won’t be fully integrated into Walgreens until the 2020 fiscal year. — Fortune, "Walgreens Boots Alliance," 1 July 2019 After signing with Mississippi State as part of coach Ben Howland’s first recruiting class, Weatherspoon completed his four-year college career as one of three players in Bulldogs’ history to amass 2,000-plus points. — Tom Orsborn, ExpressNews.com, "Quinndary Weatherspoon’s journey to Spurs began in hardscrabble hometown," 1 July 2019 Silver high-heeled sandals and dark eyeshadow completed Turner’s ensemble. — Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, "Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Wear Matching Red Outfits to Rehearsal Dinner Ahead of France Wedding," 28 June 2019 Switzer completed the run in 4 hours 20 minutes, disproving claims that women were too frail to run long distances. — The Economist, "For women, running is still an act of defiance," 28 June 2019 Luton Town's James Justin reportedly completed his Leicester medical on Wednesday and the 21-year-old appears to be a tantalising prospect. — SI.com, "James Justin: 5 Things You Need to Know About Leicester's Prospective New Signing," 28 June 2019 The remaining countries completed the deal without US involvement months later. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Trade, defense, and Israel: 2020 Democrats’ foreign policy flashpoints," 27 June 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near complete

Statistics for complete

Last Updated

4 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for complete

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

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More Definitions for complete

complete

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of complete

(Entry 1 of 2)

: having all necessary parts : not lacking anything

: not limited in any way

: not requiring more work : entirely done or completed

complete

verb

English Language Learners Definition of complete (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

See the full definition for complete in the English Language Learners Dictionary

complete

adjective

com·plete | \ kəm-ˈplēt

Kids Definition of complete

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having all necessary parts : not lacking anything a complete set of books

2 : entirely done His training is complete.

3 : thorough sense 1 complete darkness

complete

verb

completed; completing

Kids Definition of complete (Entry 2 of 2)

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.

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 sense 1

2 of a bone fracture : characterized by a break passing entirely across the bone — compare incomplete sense 2

3 of a protein : containing all essential amino acids — compare incomplete sense 4