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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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:
What Baldwin is lamenting is our tendency to fall back on binaries — right and wrong, good and evil — rather than to struggle with complexity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Puerto’s essay also reflects the complexity of an experience like hers.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
"It's a small window that opens just a crack into the complexity of their world," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
The bank says that investors have heard margin targets before, but this time management provided considerably more detail on capacity, head count, complexity reduction and capital allocation than in previous presentations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The opacity and complexity of the bond market was, for big Wall Street firms, a huge advantage.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Unusually, Turkey must navigate these complexities with Australia, a major fossil fuel exporter, after both countries agreed to share COP31 duties following a bruising hosting battle.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
It’s a fun, childlike interpretation of the complexities of coming from two cultures and religions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
"But I think in general terms the homelessness services are extremely busy, a lot busier... Case loads are extremely high and there are a lot more complexities with those presenting as homeless."
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
We anticipated logistical challenges and ethical complexities, including potential trauma reactivation and our inability to provide clinical care.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
It makes as much sense as believing that a technical knowledge of molecular biology will render a person unappreciative of the mysteries and complexities of life.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
