incomplete

incomplete — adjective

1. missing one or more parts that would normally be there, or stopped before reachi

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

missing one or more parts that would normally be there, or stopped before reaching the intended end point — for example, a form with blank sections, a story without a final chapter, or a collection that lacks some items.

Example

Wren handed in his history report, but the teacher said it was incomplete because three pages were missing.

predicative: be + incomplete + reason clause

The old puzzle on the table was incomplete — Andrés could not find the final piece anywhere.

Common collocations
  • incomplete set
  • incomplete record
  • incomplete application
  • incomplete information
  • incomplete work
  • incomplete list
Synonyms
  • unfinished

    focuses on work or activity that was started but not brought to an end; suggests someone stopped working

  • partial

    emphasises that only a part exists; does not necessarily imply the rest was expected or is missing

  • uncompleted

    less common than unfinished; used mainly for tasks, projects, or actions that were not carried through

Antonyms
  • complete

    having all necessary parts; fully finished

  • finished

    brought to an end; no more work needed

Grammar Patterns

incomplete + noun

be + incomplete

Usage Note

In formal or academic writing, incomplete is treated as an absolute adjective — something is either complete or incomplete, so comparative forms (more incomplete, most incomplete) are often avoided. In everyday spoken English, however, such forms are common and accepted.

Common Mistakes

The answer is uncomplete.
The answer is incomplete.
uncomplete is not a standard English word; the correct prefix is in-, not un-.
This is a more incomplete list than that one.' (in formal writing)
This list is less complete than that one.
formal contexts avoid comparing incompleteness directly.

incomplete — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that is not whole, but they differ in emphasis. Incomplete is the most neutral: it simply states that something lacks one or more expected parts or has not reached its intended end point (The stamp collection was incomplete; three rare issues were missing). Unfinished focuses on work or activity that was started but not brought to completion, often suggesting that someone intends to finish it later (The painter left the portrait unfinished when she moved abroad). Partial emphasises that only a portion exists, without necessarily implying that the rest was expected (The committee only received a partial report covering the first three months). In everyday use, incomplete and unfinished overlap for tasks (an incomplete report / an unfinished report), but incomplete is more natural for objects (an incomplete puzzle) while unfinished pairs more naturally with creative works (an unfinished symphony). Use incomplete when the emphasis is on what is missing; use unfinished when the emphasis is on the stopped work.

partial ↗unfinished ↗incomplete ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • still incomplete
  • largely incomplete
  • somewhat incomplete
  • woefully incomplete

Phrases

  • left incomplete
  • remain incomplete
  • render something incomplete

Prepositions

  • incomplete in

Etymology

LatinLate LatinEnglish

Incomplete entered English in the late 1500s, borrowed from Late Latin incomplētus, formed by adding the negative prefix in- to complētus (filled up, finished). The Latin complētus is the past participle of complēre (to fill up), from com- (together) + plēre (to fill).