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7 dictionary results for: complete
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
com·plete       [kuhm-pleet] Pronunciation Key adjective, verb, -plet·ed, -plet·ing.
–adjective
1.having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full: a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.
2.finished; ended; concluded: a complete orbit.
3.having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality: a complete scholar.
4.thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified: a complete victory; a complete mess.
5.Grammar. having all modifying or complementary elements included: The complete subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “The dappled pony.” Compare simple (def. 20).
6.Also, completed. Football. (of a forward pass) caught by a receiver.
7.Logic. (of a set of axioms) such that every true proposition able to be formulated in terms of the basic ideas of a given system is deducible from the set. Compare incomplete (def. 4b).
8.Engineering. noting a determinate truss having the least number of members required to connect the panel points so as to form a system of triangles. Compare incomplete (def. 3), redundant (def. 5c).
9.(of persons) accomplished; skilled; expert.
10.Mathematics.
a.of or pertaining to an algebraic system, as a field with an order relation defined on it, in which every set of elements of the system has a least upper bound.
b.of or pertaining to a set in which every fundamental sequence converges to an element of the set. Compare fundamental sequence.
c.(of a lattice) having the property that every subset has a least upper bound and a greatest lower bound.
–verb (used with object)
11.to make whole or entire: I need three more words to complete the puzzle.
12.to make perfect: His parting look of impotent rage completed my revenge.
13.to bring to an end; finish: Has he completed his new novel yet?
14.to consummate.
15.Football. to execute (a forward pass) successfully: He completed 17 passes in 33 attempts.
[Origin: 1325–75; ME (< MF) < L complétus (ptp. of complére to fill up, fulfill, equiv. to com- com- + plé- fill + -tus ptp. suffix]

—Related forms
com·plet·a·ble, adjective
com·plet·ed·ness, noun
com·plete·ly, adverb
com·plete·ness, noun
com·plet·er, noun
com·ple·tive, adjective
com·ple·tive·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. unbroken, unimpaired, undivided. 1–3. Complete, entire, intact, perfect imply that there is no lack or defect, nor has any part been removed. Complete implies that a certain unit has all its parts, fully developed or perfected, and may apply to a process or purpose carried to fulfillment: a complete explanation. Entire means whole, having unbroken unity: an entire book. Intact implies retaining completeness and original condition: a package delivered intact. Perfect emphasizes not only completeness but also high quality and absence of defects or blemishes: a perfect diamond. 3. developed. 11. conclude, consummate, perfect, accomplish, achieve.
—Antonyms 1. partial. 3. defective.
—Usage note Occasionally there are objections to modifying complete with qualifiers like almost, more, most, nearly, and quite, because they suggest that complete is relative rather than absolute: an almost complete record; a more complete proposal; the most complete list available. However, such uses are fully standard and occur regularly in all varieties of spoken and written English. See also perfect, unique.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
com·plete       (kəm-plēt')  Pronunciation Key 
adj.   com·plet·er, com·plet·est
  1. Having all necessary or normal parts, components, or steps; entire: a complete meal.
  2. Botany Having all principal parts, namely, the sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil or pistils. Used of a flower.
  3. Having come to an end; concluded.
  4. Absolute; total: "In Cairo I have seen buildings which were falling down as they were being put up, buildings whose incompletion was complete" (William H. Gass).
    1. Skilled; accomplished: a complete musician.
    2. Thorough; consummate: a complete coward.
  6. Football Caught in bounds by a receiver: a complete pass.

tr.v.   com·plet·ed, com·plet·ing, com·pletes
  1. To bring to a finish or an end: She has completed her studies.
  2. To make whole, with all necessary elements or parts: A second child would complete their family.
  3. Football To throw (a forward pass) so as to be caught by a receiver.


[Middle English complet, from Latin complētus, past participle of complēre, to fill out : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + plēre, to fill; see pelə-1 in Indo-European roots.]

com·plete'ly adv., com·plete'ness n., com·ple'tive adj.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to bring or come to a natural or proper stopping point. Complete and finish suggest the final stage in an undertaking: "Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime" (Reinhold Niebuhr). "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job" (Winston S. Churchill).
Close applies to the ending of something ongoing or continuing: The band closed the concert with an encore.
End emphasizes finality: We ended the meal with fruit and cheese.
Conclude is more formal than complete and close: The author concluded the article by restating the major points.
Terminate suggests reaching an established limit: The playing of the national anthem terminated the station's broadcast for the night.
It also indicates the dissolution of a formal arrangement: The firm terminated my contract yesterday.

Usage Note: Complete is sometimes considered absolute like perfect or chief, which is not subject to comparison. Nonetheless, it can be qualified as more or less, for example. A majority of the Usage Panel accepts the example His book is the most complete treatment of the subject. See Usage Note at absolute.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
complete 
c.1384, from O.Fr. complet "full," from L. completus, pp. of complere "to fill up," from com- intensive prefix + plere "to fill" (see plenary).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
complete

adjective
1. having every necessary or normal part or component or step; "a complete meal"; "a complete wardrobe"; "a complete set of the Britannica"; "a complete set of china"; "a complete defeat"; "a complete accounting" [ant: incomplete] 
2. perfect and complete in every respect; having all necessary qualities; "a complete gentleman"; "consummate happiness"; "a consummate performance" 
3. highly skilled; "an accomplished pianist"; "a complete musician" [syn: accomplished] 
4. without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers; "an arrant fool"; "a complete coward"; "a consummate fool"; "a double-dyed villain"; "gross negligence"; "a perfect idiot"; "pure folly"; "what a sodding mess"; "stark staring mad"; "a thoroughgoing villain"; "utter nonsense"; "the unadulterated truth" 
5. having come or been brought to a conclusion; "the harvesting was complete"; "the affair is over, ended, finished"; "the abruptly terminated interview" 

verb
1. come or bring to a finish or an end; "He finished the dishes"; "She completed the requirements for her Master's Degree"; "The fastest runner finished the race in just over 2 hours; others finished in over 4 hours" 
2. bring to a whole, with all the necessary parts or elements; "A child would complete the family" 
3. complete or carry out; "discharge one's duties" [syn: dispatch] 
4. complete a pass 
5. write all the required information onto a form; "fill out this questionnaire, please!"; "make out a form" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

complete
See also complete graph, complete inference system, complete lattice, complete metric space, complete partial ordering, complete theory.
[1. or 2. or both?]
(1996-04-24)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Complete

Com*plete"\, a. [L. completus, p. p. of complere to fill up; com- + plere to fill. See Full, a., and cf. Comply, Compline.]

1. Filled up; with no part or element lacking; free from deficiency; entire; perfect; consummate. "Complete perfections." --Milton.

Ye are complete in him. --Col. ii. 10.

That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel Revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon. --Shak.

2. Finished; ended; concluded; completed; as, the edifice is complete.

This course of vanity almost complete. --Prior.

3. (Bot.) Having all the parts or organs which belong to it or to the typical form; having calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistil.

Syn: See Whole.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Complete

Com*plete"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Completed; p. pr. & vb. n. Completing.] To bring to a state in which there is no deficiency; to perfect; to consummate; to accomplish; to fulfill; to finish; as, to complete a task, or a poem; to complete a course of education.

Bred only and completed to the taste Of lustful appetence. --Milton.

And, to complete her bliss, a fool for mate. --Pope.

Syn: To perform; execute; terminate; conclude; finish; end; fill up; achieve; realize; effect; consummate; accomplish; effectuate; fulfill; bring to pass.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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