Incompleta

Incompleta is the feminine form of the adjective meaning not complete or lacking elements in several Romance languages, including Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. It is used to describe things that are unfinished, partial, or deficient in some respect. The masculine form is incompleto in Italian and Spanish, while Portuguese uses incompleto for masculine nouns and incompleta for feminine ones.

Etymology and form: the word derives from the Latin incompletus, formed with the prefix in- plus completus. The gender and number of incompleta align with the noun it accompanies, as is typical for adjectives in these languages.

Usage and contexts: incompleta appears in everyday speech to describe incomplete objects or processes, such as una versión incompleta (an incomplete version), una investigación incompleta (an incomplete investigation), or datos incompletos (incomplete data). In data management and documentation, it signals missing information or an unfinished record, often prompting further action to complete the set or form. In artistic or literary contexts, a trabajo incompleto may refer to a work that has not yet been finished.

Related concepts: in philosophy and mathematics, the analogous idea in English is incompleteness. The term frames discussions about systems or theories that cannot prove all truths within their own framework, a topic central to Gödel’s incompleteness theorems. In Romance-language literature, incompleta remains a straightforward descriptor for partial or unfinished states across disciplines.

See also: incomplete, incompletude, teoremas de incompletitud.