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Origin and history of complete

complete(adj.)

late 14c., "having no deficiency, wanting no part or element; perfect in kind or quality; finished, ended, concluded," from Old French complet "full," or directly from Latin completus, past participle of complere "to fill up, complete the number of (a legion, etc.)," transferred to "fulfill, finish (a task)," from com-, here probably as an intensive prefix (see com-), + plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill").

complete(v.)

late 14c., "make complete, bring to an end, supply what is lacking; fulfill, accomplish," from complete (adj.) and probably in part from Latin completus. Related: Completed; completing.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to complete

compleat(adj.)

archaic spelling of complete (adj.).

completely(adv.)

"fully, entirely, wholly," early 15c., from complete (adj.) + -ly (2).

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Trends of complete

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

compliment
"act or expression of civility, respect, or regard" (or, as Johnson defines it, "An act, or expression of civility, usually understood to include some hypocrisy, and to mean less than it declares"), 1570s, complement, ultimately from Latin complementum "that which fills up or com
compline
the last canonical service of the day, early 13c., cumplie, compelin, from Old French complie (12c.), from Medieval Latin completa, from Latin completa (hora), from completus (see complete (adj.)); with unetymological -n-. So called because the service usually completes the relig
finish
late 14c., "to bring to an end;" mid-15c., "to come to an end" (intransitive), from Old French finiss-, present participle stem of fenir "stop, finish, come to an end; die" (13c.), from Latin finire "to limit, set bounds; put an end to; come to an end," from finis "that which div
closed
Closed circuit "complete, unbroken (electrical) circuit" is attested from 1827; closed shop "workplace in which only union...members are employed" is from 1904; closed system first recorded 1896 in William James as "complete and unalterable system...
panorama
representing scenes too extended to be beheld all at once, coined c. 1789 by inventor, Irish artist Robert Barker, literally "a complete...Meaning "comprehensive survey, complete or entire view" is by 1801....
perfection
perfectio) "a finishing, completing, perfection," noun of action from past-participle stem of perficere "to accomplish, finish, complete...From late 14c. as "flawlessness, correctness, purity," also "act of making perfect," also "state of being complete."...
perfect
early 15c. classical correction of Middle English parfit "flawless, ideal" (c. 1300), also "complete, full, finished, lacking...from Latin perfectus "completed, excellent, accomplished, exquisite," past participle of perficere "accomplish, finish, complete...Often used in English as an intensive (perfect stranger, etc.), from the notion of "complete."...
nail
Old English negel "tapering metal pin," nægl "fingernail (handnægl), toenail," from Proto-Germanic *naglaz (source also of Old Norse nagl "fingernail," nagli "metal nail;" Old Saxon and Old High German nagel, Old Frisian neil, Middle Dutch naghel, Dutch nagel, German Nagel "finge
prefect
mid-14c., "civil or military official, governor, magistrate," from Old French prefect (12c., Modern French préfet) and directly from Latin praefectus "public overseer, superintendent, director," a title of certain magistrates, noun use of past participle of praeficere "to put in
stark
Old English stearc "stiff, strong, rigid (as in death), obstinate; stern, severe, hard; harsh, rough, violent," from Proto-Germanic *starka- (source also of Old Norse starkr, Danish sterk, Old Frisian sterk, Middle Dutch starc, Old High German starah, German stark, Gothic *starks

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