Completely

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /kəmˈpliːtli/

Definitions

1. In every way or to the fullest extent, leaving nothing out or unfinished
2. In an absolute manner, indicating totality or thoroughness without any exceptions or omissions
3. To the fullest degree, signifying that nothing is lacking or half-finished in any respect

Etymology: "Completely" is about as plain as English derivation gets: it is "complete" with the adverb-forming ending "-ly" attached. The adjective "complete" came into English from Latin "completus," meaning "filled up" or "finished," the past participle of "complere," which combined "com-" (together, thoroughly) with "plere" (to fill). So the core idea is literally filling something all the way up, which is exactly what the modern sense of nothing being lacking preserves. The ending has a longer ancestry. The "-ly" comes from Old English "-līċe," which was itself built on the noun "līc," meaning "body" or "form," so an adverb such as "completely" once carried the sense of "in the manner of a complete thing." Over the centuries "-līċe" wore down to "-ly" in Middle English, and the word has been used with this suffix ever since.

Synonyms: entirely, totally, fully, wholly, thoroughly

Antonyms: partially, incompletely