complexion
Americannoun
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complexions
plural
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the natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin, especially of the face.
a clear, smooth, rosy complexion.
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appearance; aspect; character.
His confession put a different complexion on things.
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viewpoint, attitude, or conviction.
one's political complexion.
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(in old physiology) constitution or nature of body and mind, regarded as the result of certain combined qualities.
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Obsolete. nature; disposition; temperament.
noun
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the colour and general appearance of a person's skin, esp of the face
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aspect, character, or nature
the general complexion of a nation's finances
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obsolete
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the temperament of a person
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the temperature and general appearance of the body
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of complexion
1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin complexiōn- (stem of complexiō ) constitution, temperament, Latin: combination, group, literally, the act of embracing. See complex, -ion
Explanation
Complexion refers to the color of a person's skin, especially the face. If you have light skin, for example, you might be said to have a fair or pale complexion. The general character of something can also be called its complexion. If your team's star quarterback is out with an injury, it will change the complexion of the next game and possibly the entire season. Complexion originally referred to the humors that in ancient Greek and Roman medicine supposedly made up a person's temperament and health. The word came from the Latin complexionem, or "combination," but as humorism fell out of favor, this definition of complexion also became obsolete.
Vocabulary lists containing complexion
Much Ado About Nothing
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Bronx Masquerade
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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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:
Anderson's move from Forest to City for £116m, however, altered the complexion of Villa's outlook on Rogers' future.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Seeing an Afro-Latina woman with a darker skin complexion achieve such a level of success was the representation I needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
No host other than Conan O’Brien got more mileage out of his pale complexion, like when Colbert boasted of a vacation tan that took his skin tone “from porcelain to poached chicken breast.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The result is still the same but Bethell ensured England's tournament ends with an entirely different complexion than what could have been.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
Root grunted, his complexion returning to its normal ruddy hue.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
It is turning out to be quite the month for trade deals of various complexions.
From BBC ● May 8, 2025
While melanoma may be found less frequently in people with darker complexions than fair ones, this potentially serious form of cancer can strike anyone.
From Science Daily ● May 10, 2024
Germany’s 16 states, which have significant powers in many policy areas, have governments of many different political complexions.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 23, 2023
These are defining scenes in the book sharply realized on screen by setting them in rooms flooded by light, making Thompson's and Negga's complexions register as a shade of white on the film's monochrome palette.
From Salon ● Nov. 11, 2021
The rest of the people in my community, church, and school also fell into a wide range of complexions.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
