What does completeness mean?
Completeness is the quality of being whole: the condition of having every part, element, or detail that is needed or expected. It applies both to physical things — a set with all its pieces — and to abstract ones, such as information, arguments, records, and systems. In data management, completeness is a formal measure of how much of the required information is actually present, making it one of the core dimensions of data quality alongside accuracy and consistency. The word carries a neutral, often positive connotation: completeness is generally desirable, signalling thoroughness and reliability, though in mathematics and logic it takes on a precise technical meaning, describing systems in which every true statement can be formally proved. Derived from 'complete', which traces back through Latin 'complere' (to fill up), the word emphasizes fulfilment and sufficiency. Its natural opposite is incompleteness, and it is frequently invoked in phrases such as 'for the sake of completeness' when adding final details.
nounThe state or quality of being complete; the condition of having all necessary or appropriate parts, elements, or details.
- The state or quality of having all necessary parts, elements, or details; wholeness.
- The degree to which something contains all required information (e.g., of data or records).
"She checked the report twice to ensure its completeness before submitting it."
"The auditor verified the completeness of the financial records."
"For the sake of completeness, she appended the missing appendix."
Rarely used in the plural; the word is almost always treated as uncountable.
In mathematics, a 'complete' system is so airtight that every truth within it can be proven inside it — and Gödel famously showed even that kind of completeness has limits.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of completeness
Completeness derives from 'complete', which entered English via Old French from the Latin verb 'complere' (to fill up, finish), formed from 'com-' (together) plus 'plere' (to fill). The noun form arose as an ordinary derivation in English using the suffix '-ness'. Cognate words sharing this Latin root include 'completion', 'complement', and 'accomplish'.
Related word forms
How completeness is actually used
Neutral in register, used in both everyday and formal/technical contexts. In computing and data management it is a standard term for data-quality dimensions.
Easily confused with completeness
Completeness is the quality or state of being whole, while completion is the act or process of finishing something.