incompleteness
UK[ˌɪnkəmˈpliːtnəs]US[ˌɪnkəmˈpliːtnəs]
n
the state or condition of not being finished or whole; lacking some necessary part.
n
(logic, mathematics) a property of a formal system in which not all true statements can be proven within the system.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
complete
ness
in
not
complete
whole
ness
state of
Etymology
the word "incompleteness" is a layered construction from distinct linguistic origins. its core, "complete," stems from the latin complēre, meaning "to fill up" or "to finish," which itself is built from com- (intensive "altogether") and plēre ("to fill"). the latin negative prefix in- was attached to form "incomplete," signifying "not whole." finally, this adjective was nominalized using the native old english suffix -ness, which specializes in converting adjectives into abstract nouns denoting a state or condition. thus, the term elegantly progresses from the concrete idea of "filling up" to the philosophical and mathematical abstraction of "the state of not being whole or finished."
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + complete (whole) + ness (state of)
- in: a latin prefix meaning "not" or "without".
- complete: from latin completus, meaning "filled up, finished, whole".
- ness: an old english suffix forming abstract nouns indicating a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
the report was returned due to its glaring incompleteness.
a feeling of incompleteness lingered long after the project was submitted.
gödel's incompleteness theorems revolutionized the foundations of mathematics.