Completeness
Completeness, Concept of the adequacy of a formal system that is employed both in proof theory and in model theory (see logic). In proof theory, a formal system is said to be syntactically complete if and only if every closed sentence in the system is such that either it or its negation is provable in the system. In model theory, a formal system is said to be semantically complete if and only if every theorem of the system is provable in the system.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Completeness
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
31 October 2026
Access Date:
November 13, 2026