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

The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association is urging calm, saying in a statement that the police union will not form an opinion until an official investigation is complete. — Washington Post, "Couple want officers fired who pointed guns over shoplifting," 17 June 2019 Please start my one-year Print + Digital subscription which includes 20 print and digital issues plus exclusive subscriber-only access to the complete online archive of over 55 years of the Review dating to 1963. — nybooks.info, "Includes full archive access!," 17 June 2019 Schlieper and Pufleb turned the project into a book, complete with the pancake recipe below; the book won first prize at the Vienna PhotoBook Festival in 2017. — Daniel Stone, National Geographic, "See these otherworldly landscapes—created by whisky," 17 June 2019 Meanwhile, the government and factions fighting alongside mounted a counter-offensive, dubbed Operation Volcano of Anger, complete with its own Facebook page. — Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, "Libya’s two wars: One on the battlefield and one on Facebook," 17 June 2019 The latter was a dance party at White Oak Music Hall, complete with plenty of hard bodies and an Apollo 11 theme. — Houston Chronicle, "Pride, liquor and Instagram prove healthy draw for Houston partygoers (June 14-16)," 17 June 2019 Minecraft Dungeons blends the core game’s blocky artwork with what appears to be Diablo-style dungeon crawling, complete with 4-player co-op both locally and online. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "41 must-see PC games at E3 2019: Watch every trailer," 15 June 2019 Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout, which was remodeled in 2017 to feature Marvel superheroes, will also be located inside of the land, but will continue operating as-is until the full expansion is complete. — Madison Roberts, PEOPLE.com, "Disneyland Announces Plans for $14 Million Marvel Land Weeks After Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Opens," 14 June 2019 Testimony was followed by Lazarus, a thumping modern romp complete with Milly rocks and set to gospel house music. — Mankaprr Conteh, Vogue, "The Alvin Ailey School Celebrates 50 Years With a Moving Gala Performance," 14 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Harry Winston jewelry — as well as her massive stunner of an engagement ring from fiancé Alex Rodriguez — completed her look. — Mekita Rivas, refinery29.com, "The Best Looks From The 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards," 5 June 2019 Parabon’s experts completed Vannieuwenhoven’s family tree in late December. — Ivan Moreno, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Arrest in 43-year-old murder case stuns Northwoods town," 4 June 2019 Arizona State outfielder Hunter Bishop completed the top 10 picks when he was drafted by the Giants. — Walter Villa Miami Herald Writer, miamiherald, "Former South Dade pitcher goes to Blue Jays at No. 11 in first round of MLB Draft," 4 June 2019 Last week, Fiat Chrysler proposed a roughly $40 billion merger with European rival Renault, a tie-up that if completed would create a global auto-making giant with nearly 9 million vehicles sold a year. ... — Adrienne Roberts, WSJ, "Renault Deal Would Pull Fiat Chrysler’s Center of Gravity From U.S.," 3 June 2019 An above-ground spa, an expanse of patio space and an outdoor shower complete the grounds. — Lauren Beale, latimes.com, "Singer Barry Manilow’s onetime beach house gets a remix in Malibu," 3 June 2019 Joseph completed all coursework towards a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of New Orleans, the district stated. — nola.com, "Isaac Joseph, Jefferson Parish’s former schools superintendent, dead at 64," 3 June 2019 Lyft has completed 50,000 rides in self-driving cars in Las Vegas in one year, according to the ride-sharing service. — Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, "Lyft Completes 50,000th Self-Driving Ride in Las Vegas," 3 June 2019 But within the 1910s mansion on Lake Michigan that decorator Alessandra Branca recently completed for a client after five years of construction, all is calm. — Nancy Hass, ELLE Decor, "Alessandra Branca Designs an Ultra-Luxe 1910s Mansion on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive," 29 May 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

20 Jun 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