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
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
Examples of incomplete in a Sentence
an incomplete set of encyclopedias
She handed in an incomplete assignment.
Recent Examples on the Web
If the data used to train an AI system is incomplete or skewed, the resulting insights can reinforce inequities rather than resolve them.
—Abhishek Gandotra, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The picture of the race is incomplete with so many more ballots left to tally.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
The look is incomplete without the matching sheer mesh opera gloves.
—Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 15 Apr. 2025
The gray wolves share physical features with dire wolves but remain genetically and behaviorally distinct due to the limits of current technology and incomplete ancient DNA.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incomplete
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Abhishek Gandotra, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The picture of the race is incomplete with so many more ballots left to tally.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
The look is incomplete without the matching sheer mesh opera gloves.
—Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 15 Apr. 2025
The gray wolves share physical features with dire wolves but remain genetically and behaviorally distinct due to the limits of current technology and incomplete ancient DNA.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incomplete
Cite this Entry
“Incomplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incomplete. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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