What does completest mean?
Completest is a literary and increasingly archaic superlative of complete. It means that something is more complete than any other thing in a particular group or respects, and it may be paraphrased as “the most complete” or “the fullest.” The word commonly appears in formal prose concerning editions, accounts, records, systems, or descriptions, where its emphatic formation can suggest meticulousness or an exceptionally wide scope. For example, a historian might call an account “the completest account yet published,” while a publisher might advertise a new edition as “the most complete text.” In contemporary English, however, “most complete” is overwhelmingly preferred. Completest can sound elevated, old-fashioned, or deliberately emphatic, so it is less suitable for ordinary conversation than the modern equivalent. Its distinctive feature is the combination of the standard adjective complete with the superlative ending -est, preserving an older and more forceful way of expressing comparison.
adjectiveThe superlative of complete, meaning “more complete than all others” or “the most complete.”
- Existing in the highest or fullest degree; the most complete.
"The revised edition provides the completest account of the manuscript's history."
"The museum assembled the completest surviving collection of Roman coins."
"In the opening chapters, he gives the completest expression of his theory."
Completest packs an extra syllable of emphasis into the superlative: it means not merely complete, but complete beyond all alternatives.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does completest come from?
Completest was formed in English by adding the superlative suffix -est to complete, following the regular English pattern of forming the highest degree of an adjective. English complete comes through Middle English from Latin completus, the past participle of complere, meaning “to fill up” or “to make complete.” Related English words such as completion, completeness, and complement ultimately trace their histories to the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How completest is actually used
Completest is now dated or literary. In modern standard English, “most complete” is the usual superlative form, though completest can still give a formal or emphatic tone to prose.
Easily confused with completest
Complete is the base adjective, while completest is its superlative and therefore means “the most complete.”