What does incompletely mean?
Incompletely means “not completely” or “not fully.” It describes an action, process, state, or degree that falls short of completeness, either because some part of it is missing or because it has not been finished. Typical examples include a process that is incompletely documented, an account that is incompletely understood, and a meal that is incompletely cooked. The adverb is especially useful when the distinction between a whole result and a partial one matters. It can suggest incompleteness rather than a total absence: if an investigation is incomplete, it may still have established some facts; if research is conducted incompletely, some aspect of it may remain undone. Although “partially” and “not fully” are often more conversational, “incompletely” has a precise, somewhat formal tone and is common in academic, legal, technical, and editorial contexts.
adverbIn a way that is not complete or lacks some part of what is required. It can also mean to a degree that falls short of being full or finished.
- Not completely or fully; to a degree that falls short of being complete.
"The instructions were only partially understood, leaving the process incompletely documented."
"The witness could only incompletely describe what had happened."
"The project remains incompletely funded, although construction has begun."
Add “in” to “completely” and the idea reverses: instead of doing something without omissions, you do it with something conspicuously missing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does incompletely come from?
The word was formed in English by combining the prefix “in-” with “complete,” and its adverbial form was created by adding “-ly” to the resulting adjective. “Complete” comes through English from Latin completus, a past participle of complere, meaning “to fill up” or “finish.” The same Latin root also lies behind words such as “completion” and “completeness,” while comparable forms with the meaning “not full or unfinished” exist in several continental European languages.
Related word forms
How incompletely is actually used
This is a standard formal adverb. In everyday speech, “partly” or “partially” is often more concise, while “not fully” may be clearer when completeness is being contrasted with an absolute result.
Easily confused with incompletely
“Incomplete” is an adjective describing something that is not whole or finished, whereas “incompletely” is an adverb describing the degree or manner of an action or state.