incomplete
not finished; not done yet
Not finished; still needs more work or parts.
[something] is incomplete / leave [something] incomplete
- The renovation is still incomplete and the kitchen cannot be used yet.
- Please do not submit the report while it is incomplete.
- His application was rejected because the online form was incomplete.
- Several roads remain incomplete due to a lack of funding.
- She hates leaving any task incomplete at the end of the day.
- My homework is incomplete, so I cannot hand it in.
- The test is incomplete because I did not answer two questions.
- This form is incomplete; you did not write your address.
- The painting is still incomplete after three days of work.
- Do not leave the job incomplete; please finish it today.
missing some parts or elements
Missing some needed parts, pieces, or information.
incomplete [list/data/set/record]
- The report is based on incomplete data and may not be reliable.
- We only have an incomplete list of the people who attended the meeting.
- Because her medical history is incomplete, the doctor ordered more tests.
- The police said they had an incomplete picture of what happened that night.
- Our records for last year are incomplete due to a system error.
- This list is incomplete; some names are missing.
- The teacher said our notes are incomplete and we must add more information.
- The company made a bad choice because they used incomplete information.
- The file is incomplete, so we cannot understand the full story.
- The puzzle is incomplete because two pieces are lost.
temporary academic grade for unfinished work
A special school grade that means a student did not finish the work and must finish it later.
get/receive an incomplete in [subject]
- If you miss the final exam, you may receive an incomplete in the course.
- He got an incomplete in chemistry after being in the hospital for two weeks.
- The professor agreed to give her an incomplete instead of failing her.
- Students have one semester to make up an incomplete before it turns into a failing grade.
- Because of the emergency, the school allowed several incompletes that term.
- I got an incomplete in math because I was sick.
- The teacher gave him an incomplete, not an F.
- She is working to change her incomplete to a normal grade.
- If you have an incomplete, you must finish the work later.
- He asked the professor for an incomplete after the accident.
in football, a pass not caught
In American football, used for a pass that no player on the throwing team catches before it hits the ground.
an incomplete pass
- The quarterback's throw was ruled an incomplete pass.
- He has thrown three incomplete passes in a row under heavy pressure.
- The receiver slipped, and the result was an incomplete pass on third down.
- Fans booed after another incomplete pass stalled the drive.
- With only seconds left, an incomplete pass ended their chance to win.
- The ball hit the ground, so it was an incomplete pass.
- The quarterback was nervous and threw many incomplete passes.
- An incomplete pass means the team does not gain yards.
- The referee said it was an incomplete pass, not a catch.
- They lost the game after two incomplete passes.
partial, not total, loss of function
Used in medicine or science to mean that the loss or problem is only part, not total.
incomplete [paralysis/injury/blockage]
- The patient was diagnosed with incomplete paralysis of the lower limbs.
- An incomplete spinal cord injury means some movement or feeling is still present below the injury.
- The scan showed an incomplete blockage of the artery, which still allowed limited blood flow.
- Unlike complete fractures, incomplete fractures do not go all the way through the bone.
- Surgery is not always required for an incomplete tear of the ligament.
- He has incomplete paralysis, so he can still move his legs a little.
- The doctor said it is an incomplete fracture of the bone.
- An incomplete injury means the body part can still work partly.
- The test showed an incomplete blockage in the blood vessel.
- With an incomplete spinal cord injury, some feeling can stay.
- Base: incomplete
incomplete information
1information with missing facts
Information that does not include everything important you need to know.
- We made a bad decision because we were working with incomplete information.
- Doctors had incomplete information about the new disease at first.
- Policies based on incomplete information are often unfair.
incomplete list
1list with missing items
A list that does not have all the things or people that should be on it.
- This is an incomplete list, so please add any names that are missing.
- The report includes an incomplete list of affected products.
- Because the list was incomplete, several guests were not invited.
incomplete pass
1uncaught forward pass in football
In American football, a pass that no player on the throwing team catches before the ball hits the ground or goes out.
- The drive ended after an incomplete pass on fourth down.
- The referee signaled an incomplete pass, so the clock stopped.
- Under pressure, the quarterback threw three incomplete passes in a row.
incomplete picture
1understanding that leaves out important parts
An understanding of something that is missing important details, so it is not fully correct or clear.
- Without the financial data, we only have an incomplete picture of the company's health.
- News from one source gives you an incomplete picture of what really happened.
- The early reports painted an incomplete picture of the crisis.
incomplete sentence
1sentence missing a key part
A group of words that looks like a sentence but is missing a subject, a main verb, or a complete idea.
- The teacher marked it wrong because it was an incomplete sentence.
- Beginners often write incomplete sentences when they forget the subject.
- Please change this incomplete sentence into a full sentence.