noun
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the state or quality of being intricate or complex
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something intricate or complex; complication
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of complexity
Explanation
Is the movie simple or does it have lots of plot twists and intricate relationships between characters? If the latter is true, the movie's complexity makes it hard to understand. When you see the word complexity, think of something with a lot of pieces, something not easy to put into words or understand. Things that can have complexity include: the events leading up to the American Civil War, a broth made with many ingredients, your relationship with your parents. Complexity is the opposite of simplicity. When something has a lot of complexity, you say it is complex. When it has very little complexity, it is simple.
Vocabulary lists containing complexity
List 2
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Nothing But the Truth
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"Why Read Shakespeare?" Vocabulary from the argument
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“When you disconnect the stream from its floodplain and put it into a man-made channel, you lose all that habitat complexity, and you start to lose some of those species.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But Google's Karen Massin warns of "regulatory complexity" that could prove counterproductive, and "risks confusing the people these rules are meant to help".
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
With fresh appreciation for the complexity of a mother’s point of view, Ms. Aviv decided to revisit her work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Its variety and complexity has fascinated biologists, but with so many different songs, it has been difficult to study on a global scale.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The meaningless flow of words might have left the audience with the sense that it was incapable of parsing the deep complexity of Morgan Stanley’s bond trading business.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Though far from being a “gritty” period drama, “Little House” does attempt to capture the realities and complexities of its place and time, while still hewing to Wilder’s original themes of resilience, hope and family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
To understand the complexities of today's leasehold system, described by many, including Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, as "feudal", we have to go back almost 1,000 years.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Here are the specific eligibility requirements — and complexities of the new program to consider — for those looking to start GLP-1 treatment for obesity.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
For many spectators, the coexistence of mourning ceremonies and World Cup excitement reflected the complexities of modern Iranian life.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
People resent being shown that they don’t approach the complexities of the problem— they don’t know what exists beyond the surface ripples.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
