completely

Completely is an English adverb that expresses total extent or degree. It means entirely, wholly, or to the full extent, and it commonly modifies adjectives, participles, or other adverbs, as in “completely finished,” “completely new,” or “not completely sure.” It does not ordinarily modify nouns directly, for which you would use “complete” or restructure the sentence.

Etymology: The adverb is formed from the adjective complete plus the suffix -ly. Complete derives from Latin completus, past participle of complere “to fill up,” via Old French complet. The adverbial form appeared in Middle English and has remained common in modern English.

Usage: Completely is a neutral to mildly formal intensifier. It is synonymous with entirely, fully, wholly, totally, and utterly, though each word carries subtle nuances. “Completely” often suggests thoroughness or full fulfillment. In informal speech, “totally” is a frequent substitute, sometimes with a stronger or more colloquial tone. In negative constructions, “not completely” means partial rather than total.

In technical language, the word also occurs in phrases such as “completely positive maps” in mathematics, describing properties that hold in all contexts or extensions.

Related terms include complete and completeness, and the word family also contains other adverbs formed from adjectives with the -ly suffix.