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

But those devices are no longer the only avenue to private social interaction for children and tweens, many of whom now enjoy their own tablets and gaming systems complete with headsets that allow them to talk regularly with friends without a phone. — Sarah Krouse, WSJ, "The Big Hangup: Why the Future Is Not Just Your Phone," 12 Jan. 2019 In addition to sipping wine in historic buildings, RH designed an outdoor pavilion complete with manicured landscaping and draped pergolas to host tastings of rare and limited wines. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "Restoration Hardware's New California Compound Is A Wine Lover's Dream," 2 Jan. 2019 RIMOWA Aspen will have a launch party at the pop-up site on December 29, complete with DJ and yummy refreshments. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "RIMOWA's New Pop-Up Is One More Reason to Visit Aspen This Winter," 20 Dec. 2018 But the seventh-year Seahawk also compiles a report complete with ideas, play calls, formations, tendencies, etc., and distributes them to Seattle’s coaching staff and his fellow signal-callers. — Mike Vorel, The Seattle Times, "What’s unique about Seahawks QB Russell Wilson’s preparation? It starts with his weekly print-outs.," 14 Nov. 2018 One being the Louis Vuitton complete with Kris Jenner's face on it, gifted to Kylie by who else but... — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Kylie Jenner Has A $27K Purse for 6-Month-Old Stormi Webster," 15 Aug. 2018 State Representative Hannah Kane was on hand to honor the club with a certificate for creating a sanctuary complete with benches and a fountain. — Cynthia Fernandez, BostonGlobe.com, "A sensory garden, a Beatles cover band, and a mentor program itself gets a boost," 13 July 2018 In one transformation that’s particularly indicative of the times, a former Amity Packing pork processing plant on Green Street is now home to a WeWork co-working space and a Ballast Point brewery and restaurant, complete with a rooftop bar. — Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, "In exodus from Fulton Market, surviving meatpackers scatter and adapt," 13 July 2018 Just north of Pescadero, Pomponio State Beach is a dramatic expanse of sand, complete with picnic tables and barbeques. — SFChronicle.com, "5 hidden beaches around Half Moon Bay," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Researchers found that people typically choose to complete tasks that have short deadlines and repeatedly put off ones that don’t have an expiration date. — Samantha Boardman, Marie Claire, "How to Actually Get Through Your To-Do List," 28 Dec. 2018 Each school has their own transfer application/process to complete. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "How To Transfer Colleges When You Think You Want To Switch Schools," 27 Dec. 2018 Trump administration officials have described this as evidence of systemic fraud in the asylum system, despite suggestive evidence that many families are trying to complete their asylum cases and simply falling through the cracks. — Dara Lind, Vox, "Trump is officially turning back asylum seekers who come to the US through Mexico," 20 Dec. 2018 The review comes as both companies are striving to complete development of commercial crew spacecraft in 2019. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Russia’s nuclear rocket, airspace wars, BFR changes explained," 30 Nov. 2018 Meanwhile, the orangutans tested were able to complete the fishhook easily. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Orangutans Are Better Than Children at Making Tools, Study Finds," 12 Nov. 2018 The actor chose to complete the look with a naturally rosy lip. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Amandla Stenberg Wore a Black Gown to the London Premiere of "The Hate U Give"," 21 Oct. 2018 On my watch, Bob [Mueller] will be allowed to complete his work. — Byron Tau, WSJ, "At William Barr Hearings, Mueller Probe in Focus," 15 Jan. 2019 As the royal babe's due date approaches, Meghan is overseeing the renovations on their home at Frogmore, which could cost up to £5 million (roughly $6.4 million) to complete. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Prefer Cotswolds Farmhouse To Nottingham Cottage," 10 Jan. 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

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Last Updated

17 Jan 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