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
Synonyms
Examples of incomplete in a Sentence
an incomplete set of encyclopedias
She handed in an incomplete assignment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Often, issues develop into unnecessary crises when there is incomplete information or when critical information does not reach the right people in time.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
The fourth misfire was initially ruled a fumble that led to a Titans touchdown, but it was later overturned by video replay and ruled an incomplete pass.
—Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024
The race in Arizona was too close to call on Tuesday night, but Trump was ahead of Harris by roughly 106,000 votes in initial, incomplete election results by midday Wednesday.
—Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024
An election official in Virginia has been removed from her position after 11 voters got incomplete ballots, according to multiple local news outlets.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incomplete 
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Expert Panel®, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
The fourth misfire was initially ruled a fumble that led to a Titans touchdown, but it was later overturned by video replay and ruled an incomplete pass.
—Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024
The race in Arizona was too close to call on Tuesday night, but Trump was ahead of Harris by roughly 106,000 votes in initial, incomplete election results by midday Wednesday.
—Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024
An election official in Virginia has been removed from her position after 11 voters got incomplete ballots, according to multiple local news outlets.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incomplete
Dictionary Entries Near incomplete
Cite this Entry
“Incomplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incomplete. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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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