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

Keep scrolling for more

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

For their runway looks, Christie donned an emerald velvet suit, while Sailor wore a navy velvet dress complete with sparkling sleeves and knee-high boots. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Christie Brinkley and Daughter Sailor Walk the Runway Together," 7 Feb. 2019 Years in the making, the launch cemented SpaceX's initial lead in the new space race with the success of the most powerful rocket in the world, complete with booster-landing ballet. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "One Year On, the Falcon Heavy's Successful Launch Is Still Incredible," 6 Feb. 2019 Apple seems to be constantly striving toward complete inclusivity with these little characters. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "These New 2019 Emojis Are Super Inclusive and Your Group Text Will Appreciate It," 6 Feb. 2019 Meghan wears a black and white dress that looks vaguely reminiscent of a French maid costume and Katharine wears a pixie-like green ensemble, complete with fake leaf adornments. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Katharine McPhee Shares an Adorable Throwback Picture of Meghan Markle's Youth Theater Days," 2 Feb. 2019 There’s a trailer to celebrate the occasion, complete with four-eyed penguins and some sort of spiky tentacle nightmare-creature. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: The sordid tale of Starbreeze's stumbles, Overwatch players learn piano (with guns)," 1 Feb. 2019 When Meghan and Harry went inside the Old Vic, Meghan removed her coat to reveal an Oscar de la Renta Dress, which featured a playful animal print, complete with a unicorn. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Steps Out in Oscar de La Renta for a Day of Engagements with Prince Harry," 1 Feb. 2019 The singer dressed up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid, complete with a red wig and green tail. — Halie Lesavage, Glamour, "Taylor Swift Fans Are Convinced That Her New Music Will Be About Mermaids," 3 Jan. 2019 This setup seems like standard rom-com fare, complete with a side of upper-crust indulgence. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Crazy Rich Asians’ crazy rich success could mean more stories about less crazy rich Asian-American people.," 21 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

His team now comprises 45 staffers, who have completed design projects all around the world. — Kaitlin Menza, House Beautiful, "Kourtney Kardashian Shared Insane Photos Of Her Mansion From A New Design Book," 24 Jan. 2019 For instance, completing 10 shoulder presses and then 10 reverse flyes. — SELF, "Your Guide to Navigating the Free Weights at the Gym," 12 Jan. 2019 Viking is completing two 106-passenger ships, custom built specifically for the Douro River with state-of-the art engineering and their classic streamlined Scandinavian interiors. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "28 Places Our Travel Specialists Say You Should Go in 2019," 17 Dec. 2018 Under state law, three voters in each precinct must petition for a recount and petitions must be filed five days after each county completes its tally. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "Pennsylvania special election may see recount; Lamb, Saccone separated by razor-thin margin," 2 Oct. 2018 That didn't stop the monarch from visiting, as the first phase of building on the new structure had already been completed. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Peek Inside Osborne House, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's Seaside Escape," 27 Jan. 2019 Mental health first-aid training for shelter staff is to be completed by the end of 2019. — Melanie Grayce West, WSJ, "New York City Tries to Link Nexus of Doctors Serving the Homeless," 26 Jan. 2019 Plus, once the renovations are completed on Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, Meghan and Harry will presumably be moving into their new home full time, ahead of the birth of their first baby. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Reportedly Moving Out of Their Cotswold Home," 19 Jan. 2019 And administration policies announced last year and currently being completed don’t seem to have shifted a trend of rising prices. — Hope Yen, The Seattle Times, "AP fact check: Trump isn’t holed up nonstop at White House," 14 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about complete

Dictionary Entries near complete

Statistics for complete

Last Updated

14 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for complete

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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