compleat

English

Verb

compleat (third-person singular simple present compleats, present participle compleating, simple past and past participle compleated)

(Late Modern) Archaic spelling of complete.
- 1712 May, [Alexander Pope], “The Rape of the Locke. An Heroi-comical Poem.”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, canto:
  This I was forc'd to before I had executed half my Deſign, for the Machinery was entirely wanting to compleat it.
- 1776, the Declaration of Independence, written largely by Thomas Jefferson:
  He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy unworthy the head of a civilized nation...

Adjective

compleat (not comparable)

(Late Modern) Archaic spelling of complete.
- 1680, Robert Filmer, Patriarcha:
  in that Family he might have compleat Oeconomical Power
- 1919, Daisy Ashford, “Chapter 3”, in The Young Visiters:
  Mr Salteena had put on a compleat evening suit as he thought it was the correct idea

Usage notes

The otherwise obsolete spelling is sometimes used in modern publications as a tribute to the 1653 book The Compleat Angler and to suggest a similarly valuable resource.

Derived terms

Latin

Verb

compleat

third-person singular present active subjunctive of compleō