completion

completion — noun

1. The moment or state when a piece of work, a project, or an activity is fully don

1.nounC1
Definition

The moment or state when a piece of work, a project, or an activity is fully done and nothing more needs to be added or changed.

Example

The completion of the new hospital wing is expected by spring next year.

collocation: completion of [project]

Students receive their diplomas upon successful completion of all required courses.

pattern: upon [adjective] completion of [noun]

Common collocations
  • completion of
  • upon completion of
  • successful completion
  • project completion
  • course completion
Synonyms
  • finish

    more informal and often used for races, competitions, or the final stage of a physical task

  • conclusion

    focuses on the final part of an event or argument rather than a practical task

  • end

    the broadest term; can refer to any stopping point in time or space

Antonyms
  • start

    the beginning of a task or process

  • incompletion

    used in formal contexts; suggests something was left unfinished

Grammar Patterns

completion + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently occurs in the pattern 'upon/on completion of [noun]' in formal or written contexts, such as certificates, contracts, and academic records.

Common Mistakes

The completion of the project was completed.
The project reached completion.
'completion' already contains the idea of finishing; avoid pairing it with 'complete' or 'finish' in the same clause.

2. In American football and similar sports, a forward pass that is successfully cau

2.nounB2
Definition

In American football and similar sports, a forward pass that is successfully caught by a teammate of the person who threw it.

Example

Rivera threw three perfect completions in the final two minutes of the game.

countable use: [number] + completion(s)

The coach praised his players for their strong completion rate this season.

collocation: completion rate

Common collocations
  • completion to
  • completion rate
  • pass completion
  • perfect completion
Synonyms
  • completed pass

    more explicit; less common in casual sports commentary

  • reception

    describes the same event but from the receiver's perspective, not the thrower's

Grammar Patterns

completion + to + noun phrase

Usage Note

In American football, a 'completion' is a specific statistic. A pass is only counted as a completion if the receiver catches it cleanly. The term is rarely used for running plays or lateral passes.

Common Mistakes

The quarterback threw a completion that was dropped.
The quarterback threw a pass that was dropped.
a dropped pass is not a completion.

3. The point in a property deal where ownership is officially transferred, all nece

3.nounB2
Definition

The point in a property deal where ownership is officially transferred, all necessary documents are signed, and the outstanding payment is handed over.

Example

The completion of the house purchase is scheduled for the fifteenth of May.

collocation: completion of [property] purchase

Leila and her husband attended the completion meeting at the solicitor's office yesterday morning.

Common collocations
  • completion date
  • completion of
  • day of completion
  • legal completion
  • house completion
Synonyms
  • closing

    the standard American English equivalent; 'closing date' corresponds to 'completion date'

  • settlement

    another American term for the final transfer of property ownership

Grammar Patterns

completion + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Used chiefly in British English property law. In American English, 'closing' or 'settlement' are the standard terms for the same event. Subject is typically a house, flat, or piece of land.

Common Mistakes

The completion of my rental agreement is next week.
The completion of the house purchase is next week.
'completion' in this sense applies to buying property, not renting.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to the point where something stops being in progress, but they differ from 'completion' in scope and context. 'Completion' emphasises that every required step has been performed — a project, course, or construction reaches completion when all work is done. 'Finish' is more informal and often tied to physical tasks or competitive events: the finish of a race, or putting the finish on a wooden table. 'Conclusion' focuses on the final part of an intellectual or narrative process — the conclusion of a speech, an argument, or a study. 'End' is the broadest term, usable for anything that stops, from a movie to a relationship. For example: upon completion of the training programme (all modules passed), versus at the conclusion of the lecture (the final remarks), versus the end of the road (the physical stopping point).

finish ↗conclusion ↗end

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • upon completion
  • on completion
  • after completion
  • date of completion
  • completion of
  • completion rate

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'completio' (a filling up or finishing), derived from 'complere' (to fill up, to perfect), which combines 'com-' (intensive prefix) and 'plere' (to fill). The word passed through Old French before entering English in the 15th century. The sports sense emerged in 20th-century American football commentary, while the property-law sense developed in British legal practice during the 19th century.