incomplete

adjective
in·​com·​plete | \ ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt How to pronounce incomplete (audio) \

Definition of incomplete

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 : lacking one or more sets of floral organs an incomplete flower without stamens
c 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
2 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
3 of a football pass : not legally caught

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Other Words from incomplete

incompletely adverb
incompleteness noun

Examples of incomplete in a Sentence

an incomplete set of encyclopedias She handed in an incomplete assignment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lock was injured in the third quarter of Monday night’s preseason game vs. the 49ers when he was flushed out of the pocket, threw incomplete and snagged his throwing hand in the turf. Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "Broncos’ Vic Fangio on Drew Lock injury return timeline: “It’s going to be a little bit of time”," 21 Aug. 2019 Drug-resistant strains are on the increase due to incomplete and challenging courses of treatment that last for more than 18 months. Katie Hunt, CNN, "New treatment approved for drug-resistant tuberculosis," 15 Aug. 2019 Decades of incomplete or ineffective treatment has resulted in tuberculosis strains that have become resistant to existing medicines. Los Angeles Times, "FDA approves tuberculosis drug that works on hard-to-treat cases," 14 Aug. 2019 The carrier is very similar to Liaoning, China’s first carrier, an ex-Soviet Navy carrier that was purchased from Ukraine incomplete and completed at Dalian over a period of 10 years. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "China’s First Homemade Aircraft Carrier Is Having Some Problems," 9 Aug. 2019 An agency that is legendary in incompetence resulting in long, long, long, long wait times and incomplete and confusing information take on another task. Gary Richards, The Mercury News, "What if I need REAL ID before my current license expires? Roadshow," 8 Aug. 2019 As a result, symphonies’ standard business model (up to 100 salaried musicians perform the classical music repertoire inside an acoustically pristine hall for a wealthy and well-educated audience) — is incomplete and must evolve. Mary Carole Mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "How can orchestras like Baltimore’s be fixed? 5 things we can learn from problems at BSO and elsewhere.," 5 Aug. 2019 There are many reasons for the mismatch between names and Social Security numbers, including clerical errors, unreported name changes and inaccurate or incomplete employer records. Javonte Anderson, chicagotribune.com, "Letters to employers about Social Security numbers target immigrants, Chicago unions, elected officials say," 25 July 2019 On Tuesday, a Vernon code enforcement officer denied an application for the festival to hold its event at Vernon Downs, saying the application was incomplete and filed too late. Taylor Mims, Billboard, "Update: Woodstock 50 New Location Permit Appeal Rejected," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incomplete.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of incomplete

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for incomplete

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

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More Definitions for incomplete

incomplete

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of incomplete

: lacking some part : not finished : not complete
American football, of a forward pass : not caught by the player the ball was thrown to

incomplete

adjective
in·​com·​plete | \ ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt How to pronounce incomplete (audio) \

Kids Definition of incomplete

: not finished : not complete

Other Words from incomplete

incompletely adverb

incomplete

adjective
in·​com·​plete | \ ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt How to pronounce incomplete (audio) \

Medical Definition of incomplete

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