incomplete

adjective

in·​com·​plete ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt 

1

: not complete : unfinished: such as

a

: lacking a usually necessary part, element, or step

spoke in incomplete sentences

an incomplete set of golf clubs

an incomplete diet

b

of protein : deficient in one or more essential amino acids

People used to think you needed to eat incomplete proteins together in the same meal to make up a complete protein, but that view has been debunked; simply eat a variety of plant-based protein sources throughout the day and you'll be fine.

—Katherine Hobson

c

: lacking one or more sets of floral organs

an incomplete flower without stamens

2

of a football pass : not legally caught

3

of insect metamorphosis : characterized by the absence of a pupal stage between the immature stages and the adult of an insect in which the young usually resemble the adult compare complete sense 6

incompletely adverb

incompleteness noun

Synonyms

• deficient
• fragmental
• fragmentary
• half
• halfway
• partial

Examples of incomplete in a Sentence

an incomplete set of encyclopedias

She handed in an incomplete assignment.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, there are some indirect consequences for DeFi users such as exposing personally identifiable information (PII) to platforms and receiving incomplete tax forms. —Shehan Chandrasekera, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Trump complicates the task As Gov. Gavin Newsom enters the second half of his final term, healthcare stands out as his most ambitious but glaringly incomplete initiative. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024

Copied Share Texans punt again Rohan Nadkarni After two straight incomplete throws from C.J. Stroud with only two yards needed for a first down, the Texans punted on 4th-and-2 from the Baltimore 43. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024

The government doubled down on border enforcement efforts, adding thousands of new Border Patrol agents, spending big on surveillance technology and starting a border wall that remains incomplete. —Alejandro Serrano, Austin American-Statesman, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incompleet, from Late Latin incompletus, from Latin in- + completus complete

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

incomplete

adjective

in·​com·​plete ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt 

: not complete : lacking some part

handed in an incomplete assignment

incompletely adverb

incompleteness noun

Medical Definition

incomplete

adjective

in·​com·​plete ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt 

1

of insect metamorphosis : having no pupal stage between the immature stages and the adult with the young insect usually resembling the adult compare complete sense 1

2

of a bone fracture : not broken entirely across compare complete sense 2

3

of a protein : deficient in one or more essential amino acids compare complete sense 3

4

: characterized by incomplete dominance

an incomplete trait