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Today it means

complete

having all necessary parts, or finished entirely

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Where does the word "complete" come from? It comes from Latin complere, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "complete" come from? It comes from Latin complere, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Complete’s story begins in Latin: complere meant “to fill up completely.” To fill up completely, from com- (thoroughly) and plere (to fill), with irregular past participle completus. It reached English by 1300s as complete. Settled as the English word for something having all its parts, finished. Today, complete means having all necessary parts, or finished entirely.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient complere "to fill up completely", to fill up completely, from com- (thoroughly) and plere (to fill), with irregular past participle completus.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s complete "having all its necessary parts, finished", settled as the English word for something having all its parts, finished.

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