Complete vs. Done: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Complete" implies fully finished or whole, whereas "Done" generally means finished or concluded, often with an emphasis on the cessation of action.
Key Differences
"Complete" suggests that all parts are present and nothing is missing, indicating wholeness or entirety. "Done" is often used to indicate that an activity or task has been concluded, regardless of the degree of completeness.
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Nov 28, 2023
The word "complete" can imply a thoroughness or perfection, as in completing a project with all details attended to. "Done," however, may simply mean that one has finished an activity or that something has come to an end.
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Nov 28, 2023
In usage, "complete" often carries a sense of fulfillment, as in completing a journey or a course of study. "Done," in contrast, is commonly used in everyday speech to indicate that an action has been performed or a task has been accomplished.
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Nov 28, 2023
"Complete" can also serve as an adjective, describing something as whole or fully made. "Done," when used as an adjective, typically describes a state of being finished or cooked, especially in the context of food.
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Nov 28, 2023
In conclusion, "complete" generally refers to the comprehensive finishing of something, implying all components are included, whereas "done" often refers to the cessation of work or action, without necessarily implying thoroughness or perfection.
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Nov 28, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Adjective Use
Describes something as whole
Describes something as finished or cooked
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Nov 28, 2023
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Complete and Done Definitions
Complete
Having all parts or elements; lacking nothing.
The collection is complete with the addition of this piece.
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Nov 28, 2023
Complete
Having all necessary or normal parts, components, or steps; entire
A complete medical history.
A complete set of dishes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
(Botany) Having all principal parts, namely, the sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil or pistils. Used of a flower.
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Oct 19, 2023
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Complete
Having come to an end; concluded
The renovation of the kitchen is complete.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Socially acceptable
Spitting on the street is just not done in polite society.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
To make whole, with all necessary elements or parts
A second child would complete their family. Fill in the blanks to complete the form.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Having completed or finished an activity.
He pushed his empty plate away, sighed and pronounced "I am done."
They were done playing and were picking up the toys when he arrived.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
(Football) To throw (a forward pass) that is caught in bounds by a receiver.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
(of an activity or task) Completed or finished.
I'll text you when the movie's done.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
(ambitransitive) To finish; to make done; to reach the end.
He completed the assignment on time.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
(of food) Ready, fully cooked.
As soon as the potatoes are done we can sit down and eat.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
(transitive) To make whole or entire.
The last chapter completes the book nicely.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Being exhausted or fully spent.
When the water is done we will only be able to go on for a few days.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Without hope or prospect of completion or success.
He is done, after three falls there is no chance he will be able to finish.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
With all parts included; with nothing missing; full.
My life will be complete once I buy this new television.
She offered me complete control of the project.
After she found the rook, the chess set was complete.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Fashionable, socially acceptable, tasteful.
I can't believe he just walked up and spoke to her like that, those kind of things just aren't done!
What is the done thing these days? I can't keep up!
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Finished; ended; concluded; completed.
When your homework is complete, you can go and play with Martin.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Generic intensifier.
He is a complete bastard!
It was a complete shock when he turned up on my doorstep.
Our vacation was a complete disaster.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
In which every Cauchy sequence converges to a point within the space.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Used in forming the perfective aspect; have.
I woke up and found out she done left.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
In which every semantically valid well-formed formula is provable.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
It is done or agreed; let it be a match or bargain; - used elliptically.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
That is in a given complexity class and is such that every other problem in the class can be reduced to it (usually in polynomial time or logarithmic space).
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Given; executed; issued; made public; - used chiefly in the clause giving the date of a proclamation or public act.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Filled up; with no part or element lacking; free from deficiency; entire; perfect; consummate.
Ye are complete in him.
That thou, dead corse, again in complete steelRevisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon.
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Oct 19, 2023
Done
Having finished or arrived at completion;
Certain to make history before he's done
It's a done deed
After the treatment, the patient is through except for follow-up
Almost through with his studies
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Finished; ended; concluded; completed; as, the edifice is complete.
This course of vanity almost complete.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Having all the parts or organs which belong to it or to the typical form; having calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistil.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
To bring to a state in which there is no deficiency; to perfect; to consummate; to accomplish; to fulfill; to finish; as, to complete a task, or a poem; to complete a course of education.
Bred only and completed to the tasteOf lustful appetence.
And, to complete her bliss, a fool for mate.
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Come or bring to a finish or an end;
He finished the dishes
She completed the requirements for her Master's Degree
The fastest runner finished the race in just over 2 hours; others finished in over 4 hours
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Bring to a whole, with all the necessary parts or elements;
A child would complete the family
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Write all the required information onto a form;
Fill out this questionnaire, please!
Make out a form
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Having every necessary or normal part or component or step;
A complete meal
A complete wardrobe
A complete set pf the Britannica
A complete set of china
A complete defeat
A complete accounting
An incomplete flower
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Perfect and complete in every respect; having all necessary qualities;
A complete gentleman
Consummate happiness
A consummate performance
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Having all four whorls or principal parts--sepals and petals and stamens and carpels (or pistils);
Complete flowers
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers;
An arrant fool
A complete coward
A consummate fool
A double-dyed villain
Gross negligence
A perfect idiot
Pure folly
What a sodding mess
Stark staring mad
A thoroughgoing villain
Utter nonsense
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Having come or been brought to a conclusion;
The harvesting was complete
The affair is over, ended, finished
The abruptly terminated interview
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Oct 19, 2023
Complete
Whole, entire, or perfect.
His thesis was complete and ready for submission.
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Nov 28, 2023
Complete
Finished or concluded.
She was relieved to have the project complete.
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Nov 28, 2023
Complete
To bring to an end; finish.
He completed the marathon in record time.
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Nov 28, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can "complete" and "done" be used interchangeably?
Sometimes, but "complete" often implies thoroughness while "done" may not.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" refer to the state of food?
Yes, especially to indicate when food is cooked enough.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "complete" only used for tasks?
No, it can refer to a wide range of things, including objects and states.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Does "complete" always mean perfection?
Not always, but it implies a high degree of finish or entirety.
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Nov 28, 2023
Does "complete" imply a longer process?
It can, especially when indicating thoroughness or entirety.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "done" used in formal writing?
Less commonly, as it tends to be more conversational.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" express agreement?
Yes, it can be used to signify agreement in a deal or decision.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" be used to indicate the end of an event?
Yes, it can indicate that something is over.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "complete" used in technology contexts?
Yes, like completing a software update or project.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" be used in a business context?
Yes, especially in colloquial speech or informal agreements.
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Nov 28, 2023
Is "complete" used in academic contexts?
Yes, it's common in academic and professional settings.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" imply exhaustion?
Yes, informally it can mean being tired or finished with something.
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Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" be used in cooking?
Yes, it's commonly used to refer to the cooking state of food.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Does "complete" carry a positive connotation?
Generally, yes, especially when indicating fulfillment.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Can "done" be used for projects?
Yes, but it might not convey the thoroughness that "complete" does.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Is "complete" more formal than "done"?
It's often perceived as more formal or thorough.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Does "complete" imply a successful conclusion?
Often, but not always; it can just mean that something has all its parts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
Does "complete" have a more definitive sense than "done"?
It can, especially in terms of comprehensiveness or entirety.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 28, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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