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incomplete Definition

in·com·plete (in′kəm plēt′)

adjective

  1. lacking a part or parts; not whole; not full
  2. unfinished; not concluded
  3. not perfect; not thorough

Etymology: ME incompleet < LL incompletus: see in- & complete

noun

Educ.
  1. incompletion of assigned work in a course
  2. a grade or mark (usually I) indicating incompletion of assigned work

Related Forms:

incomplete Synonyms

incomplete

modif.

  1. Unfinished

    rough, half-done, under construction; see unfinished 1.

  2. Partial

    sketchy, meager, deficient, fragmentary; see inadequate 1.

incomplete Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • inevitably: The difficult subject of child mortality and attitudes to it are discussed, using evidence that is inevitably incomplete.
  • sadly: Nice early version of an ever popular game sadly incomplete.
  • necessarily: So is the necessarily incomplete form of the procedure before later Review Conferences filled in the gaps in politically easier times.
  • somewhat: I felt that a system based around the late 1970's would be somewhat incomplete without one.
  • deliberately: It will not apply where the return is deliberately incomplete, in an attempt to take advantage of the concession.

Preposition: without

  • mention: This review of personalities would be incomplete without mention of three of our friends who have passed away during their service.
  • reference: So any insight into Sikh faith would be incomplete without some reference to the secular.

Modifies a noun

  • combustion: CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel.
  • provenance: Report on Provenance Research for the Period 1933-45 This institution also provides a list of works with incomplete provenance during the period 1933-1945.
  • penetrance: In a large pedigree XFS seems to be transmitted as a dominant trait with incomplete penetrance.
  • metamorphosis: The series of images indicates the transformation that occurs during the various stages of incomplete metamorphosis.
  • digestion: Incomplete digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates may also contribute to nutritional deficiency.
  • bladder: Micturition is associated with frequency, hesitancy, poor flow and incomplete bladder emptying.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: Without strong ties to Russia, Europe remains incomplete.
  • appear: In many further cases, the data appeared incomplete.
  • seem: The draft guidelines of October 1997 seem incomplete in that respect.
  • leave: A deal left incomplete, with deadly consequences... Martin Breach is not a man who likes unfinished business.
  • feel: Still feeling incomplete, the band recruited Frank to fill out their sound.

Preposition: in

  • respect: The draft guidelines of October 1997 seem incomplete in that respect.
incomplete Quotes

One's complete sentences are attempts, as often as not, to complete an incomplete self with words.

—Gass,William H(oward)

No te juzgues incompleto porque no responden a tus ternuras; el amor lleva en s |¤ su propia plenitud. Siempre que haya un hueco en tu vida, lle¤  nalo de amor. Don't judge yourself incomplete when your tenderness gets no response; love carries within itself its own plenitude. Whenever there is a void in your life, fill it with love.

—Nervo