Meaning & use

incomplete

adjective·Everyday

Lacking one or more necessary parts; not finished or whole.

See it in a sentence

The teacher returned the essay because its final section was incomplete.

Police said their investigation remained incomplete without the missing witness statement.

A note on using this word

Incomplete usually implies something is still missing, whereas unfinished can simply mean work has stopped temporarily.

Words with a similar meaning

unfinishedpartial

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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