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Complete Very Common

Complete has 13 different meanings across 2 categories:

Verb · Adjective

Definitions
Noun
1

A completed survey.

"Could you please send me the complete survey so I can review your feedback?"

In plain English: A complete noun is a word that stands alone as its own thing, like a name or a thing you can touch.

"The complete of the puzzle is missing a few pieces."

Usage: Use "complete" as a noun only in specific contexts like "a complete set," where it refers to an entire collection rather than a finished task. In most cases, you should use "completion" or "finished version" instead of the noun form to avoid confusion.

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"

4

complete a pass

"The quarterback waited for his receiver to get into position before he completed the long pass downfield."

5

write all the required information onto a form

"fill out this questionnaire, please!"

"make out a form"

6

To finish; to make done; to reach the end.

"She worked late into the night to complete her thesis before the deadline."

In plain English: To finish something entirely so there is nothing left undone.

"She decided to complete her homework before dinner."

Usage: Use "complete" as a verb when you want to say that an action has been finished or a task has reached its final stage. It typically takes a direct object, such as in "She completed the report," rather than being used with "up" like some other verbs of finishing.

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"

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"

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 thorough nuisance"

"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"

6

With all parts included; with nothing missing; full.

"The complete set of encyclopedias filled the entire bookshelf from floor to ceiling."

In plain English: Complete means finished with everything done and nothing left to do.

"She was completely exhausted after running the marathon."

Usage: Use complete as an adjective to describe something that has all its necessary parts or is fully finished, such as a complete set of tools or a complete meal. Avoid using it to mean "very" or "extremely," which requires words like very or extremely instead.

Example Sentences
"She was completely exhausted after running the marathon." adj
"The complete of the puzzle is missing a few pieces." noun
"She decided to complete her homework before dinner." verb
Related Terms
finish done finished whole comprehensive entire all round complexity class come full circle comply completion fullbring nonfinished worklist whip out rounded 180 cat's paw incompletion
Antonyms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)

Origin

The word "complete" entered English from Middle French and Latin, where it originally meant "full." It comes from a root meaning "to fill up," which also gave us related words like "complement" and "deplete."

Rhyming Words
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