Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb computing To complete automatically.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

auto- +‎ complete

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word autocomplete.

Examples

  • Today, Yahoo t urned on a local component to its keyword autocomplete feature.

    Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right Now 2010

  • Similarly, getting used to the one-word autocomplete using tab takes a minute-but just like many programs that keep your hands on the keyboard (such as Quicksilver or Launchy), after just a bit of initiation, you'll find that sifting through files becomes extremely fast and easy.

    Lifehacker 2010

  • Similarly, getting used to the one-word autocomplete using tab takes a minute-but just like many programs that keep your hands on the keyboard (such as Quicksilver or Launchy), after just a bit of initiation, you'll find that sifting through files becomes extremely fast and easy.

    Lifehacker Whitson Gordon 2010

  • Similarly, getting used to the one-word autocomplete using tab takes a minute-but just like many programs that keep your hands on the keyboard (such as Quicksilver or Launchy), after just a bit of initiation, you'll find that sifting through files becomes extremely fast and easy.

    Lifehacker Whitson Gordon 2010

  • Similarly, getting used to the one-word autocomplete using tab takes a minute-but just like many programs that keep your hands on the keyboard (such as Quicksilver or Launchy), after just a bit of initiation, you'll find that sifting through files becomes extremely fast and easy.

    Lifehacker 2010

  • Similarly, getting used to the one-word autocomplete using tab takes a minute-but just like many programs that keep your hands on the keyboard (such as Quicksilver or Launchy), after just a bit of initiation, you'll find that sifting through files becomes extremely fast and easy.

    Lifehacker Whitson Gordon 2010

  • Similarly, getting used to the one-word autocomplete using tab takes a minute-but just like many programs that keep your hands on the keyboard (such as Quicksilver or Launchy), after just a bit of initiation, you'll find that sifting through files becomes extremely fast and easy.

    Lifehacker 2010

  • Fixed issues with @username autocomplete placement

    Planet Geek 2009

  • Arabic on-screen keyboard, regional settings, word autocomplete function, etc.

    Windows Marketplace: results for the '' category 2008

  • Arabic on-screen keyboard, regional settings, word autocomplete function, etc.

    Windows Marketplace: results for the '' category 2008

Comments

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  • A feature of desktop and, through the use of ajax, web applications, where possible results are suggested as you type.

    Which Wordie now has, in the upper-right-hand search box.

    October 15, 2007

  • Saw it! Love it! Thanks!

    October 15, 2007

  • Oddocomplete has now been gone for five months (see features). Campaign for its reinstatement here, unless you don't want to.

    September 25, 2008

  • Ooh, I remember those dark days. It was handy in some instances, but mostly it thwarted my intentions by annoyingly selecting something off the list rather than what I typed. And I hit "enter" too fast to thwart it back. There wasn't enough thwarting going on, basically... Anyway I'd be happy if it stayed away. My $.02.

    September 25, 2008

  • I've changed my mind since 11 months ago. May it never darken my screen again.

    September 25, 2008

  • I wish we had autocomplete as one of the options under more searches. It was great for finding patterns. Just think, reesetee, you could type in "ferous" and see what might be added to Carry Me Home.

    September 26, 2008

  • Mollusque, that's a grand idea!

    But didn't John say that it was taking up a lot of space and/or slowing stuff down? I don't recall exactly...

    September 26, 2008

  • John's opinion, from features:

    Mollusque, I did turn off autocomplete. It uses up a lot of server juice, and traffic has been climbing lately, so I needed to lighten the load to keep things responsive. Wildcarding would be nice -- someday I hope to revisit search.

    I was not a fan of autocomplete. But maybe having it under "more searches" could be a good idea...

    September 26, 2008

  • Prolagus and c_b, that's why I propose putting it off to the side rather than in the main word search function.

    September 26, 2008

  • Good idea, mollusque! You've reminded me of why I liked it in the first place. Also, your describing exactly what I might do with it, using a specific list name, frightens me. In a good way. :-)

    September 26, 2008

  • Yes, that's what I said was a grand idea. (I said earlier that I didn't like it on the main page.)

    September 26, 2008

  • So we agree then. Let's shake paws.

    September 26, 2008

  • Reesetee... are you saying you have paws?

    September 26, 2008

  • I don't know. Am I?

    September 26, 2008

  • Yes, you are.

    September 26, 2008

  • *ponders whether to add "may have paws" to the Reesetee list*

    September 26, 2008

  • Well, it's too late now. The paws are out of the bag. Go on and--

    Wait. You already did.

    September 26, 2008

  • The thought gives paws to all who ponder...

    September 27, 2008

  • The Wordnik autocomplete is another part of the site that ignores strings in the database that contain whitespace, isn't it? All those fascinating pages, not so much hidden as brushed quietly out of ready view...

    November 28, 2009

  • The autocompl

    is so slo

    that eve

    time I ty

    and hit ent

    I alwa

    seem to get tak

    to some trunc

    version of sam

    November 29, 2009

  • Powered by blipper.

    November 29, 2009

  • I thought that was only my machine. I was trying to search pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis and got it wrong 5 times before I gave up...all thanks to the autocomplete (more auto, less complete.)

    hehheh. Powered by blipper indeed!

    November 29, 2009

  • I would vote for doing away with autocomplete entirely. It's really annoying.

    November 29, 2009

  • I think autocomplete should be turned on/off based on personal user preferences.

    I can see how for some it could be useful, but I hate it. It keeps interfering with my word look-ups and I have to re-search several times to get there.

    November 29, 2009

  • It just needs to be rejiggered so that only the letters typed are entered unless one chooses one of the other items on the list of suggestions.

    November 29, 2009

  • That sounds good.

    November 29, 2009

  • I've renamed my enter key. I now call it autotruncate key.

    November 29, 2009

  • Autocomplete has been rejiggered along the lines mollusque suggested—unless you choose an item off the list, it should behave like a regular search box.

    November 30, 2009

  • cool. maybe someday I'll have time to mess with it.

    November 30, 2009

  • I seem to remember going through the same changes on Wordie. :-) Thanks, John.

    December 1, 2009

  • Yay! Awesome pronunciation uselessness.

    December 4, 2009