complexity

[kuhm-plek-si-tee]

noun

plural

complexities 

1. the state or quality of being complex; intricacy.

   the complexity of urban life.

2. something complex.

   the complexities of foreign policy.

complexity

/ kəmˈplɛksɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being intricate or complex

2. something intricate or complex; complication

Other Word Forms

• intercomplexity noun
• overcomplexity noun
• supercomplexity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of complexity¹

First recorded in 1715–25; complex + -ity

Example Sentences

As private assets enter mainstream retirement plans, participants must weigh opportunity against complexity.

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“Virtual reality becomes more attractive than the real one and can become the ‘non-place’ to escape from the complexity of everyday life.”

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The complexity of those systems is significant; even Nvidia stumbled a bit in getting its first Blackwell-based racks into volume manufacturing last year.

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For example, a quote for a shipment from China to Charlotte, N.C., could take a worker several days because of the complexity of figuring out routes, carriers and customs paperwork.

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Warsh, in their view, is cherry-picking uncomfortable moments from the safety of his private-sector perch, where he doesn’t need to deal with the complexity of running a central bank in a rapidly evolving economy.

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Related Words

• complication 
• intricacy 
• ramification