Reading Theme:
Complete: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：having all parts (complete)
complete
/kəmˈpliːt/
adj.
having all parts and nothing missing; whole.
having all parts
➕
/hævɪŋ ɔːl pɑːts/
adj.
Describes something that is whole, with no parts missing, gaps, or omissions.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Latin 'completus' (com- 'together' + plere 'to fill'), meaning 'fully filled'.
💡 Mnemonic
A puzzle is complete when every piece is in its place.
📖 Example
I spent hours looking for the last piece of the puzzle, and now the picture is complete.
I spent hours looking for the last piece of the puzzle, and now the picture is whole.
🔗 Collocations
complete set – A collection containing all items of a series.
complete works – All the writings or compositions of an author or composer.
complete failure – A total lack of success.
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
incomplete (adj.) – Not having all the necessary parts; unfinished.
partial (adj.) – Only a part of the whole; not complete.
🌱 Derivatives
completely (adv.) – In every way or as much as possible.
completeness (n.) – The state of being whole or finished.
📖 Cultural Story
The word entered English from Old French 'complet', which itself came from Latin 'completus'. The core idea of 'filling up to totality' remains strong, especially in formal contexts like law ('contract complete') or academia ('a complete set of data').
Meaning 2：fully finished (complete)
complete
/kəmˈpliːt/
adj.
finished or ended; fully done.
fully finished
➕
/ˈfʊli ˈfɪnɪʃt/
adj.
Describes a task, process, or activity that has been brought to an end or concluded successfully.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
After months of hard work, the construction of the new community garden is finally complete.
After months of hard work, the construction of the new community garden is finally finished.
🔗 Collocations
complete a project – To finish all the work on a project.
complete the process – To carry out all the steps of a procedure until the end.
complete a task – To successfully finish a specific piece of work.
🔄 Synonyms
finished (adj.) – Brought to an end; completed.
concluded (adj.) – Brought to a close; ended.
accomplished (adj.) – Successfully completed or achieved.
🚫 Antonyms
ongoing (adj.) – Still in progress; not yet finished.
unfinished (adj.) – Not completed; lacking the final touches.
🌱 Derivatives
completion (n.) – The action or process of finishing something.
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