'incomplete' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'incompletus,' where 'in-' meant 'not' and 'completus' meant 'filled up or finished.'

'incompletus' transformed into the Old French word 'incomplet,' and eventually became the modern English word 'incomplete' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'not filled up or finished,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.