complexity

[ kuh m-plek-si-tee ]

/ kəmˈplɛk sɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR complexity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural com·plex·i·ties for 2.

the state or quality of being complex; intricacy: the complexity of urban life.

something complex: the complexities of foreign policy.

Nearby words

Origin of complexity

First recorded in 1715–25; complex + -ity

Related formsin·ter·com·plex·i·ty, noun, plural in·ter·com·plex·i·ties.o·ver·com·plex·i·ty, nounsu·per·com·plex·i·ty, noun, plural su·per·com·plex·i·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for complexity

His most elaborate camera maneuvers seemed almost diabolical in their complexity.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sex, with its myths, confronts us with the complexity of our behaviors and our beliefs.
Living Black & Gay in the ’50s|Alain Mabanckou|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yeah, one thing that John Shea said struck me: "Narratives close off the complexity of reality."
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Complexity appeals to the sophisticated grown-ups mentioned above.
Five Lessons the Faltering Music Industry Could Learn From TV|Ted Gioia|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Fault in Our Stars may not have the complexity of a mature literary classic.
Young Adult Novel Adaptations Put Mainstream Blockbusters to Shame|Amy Zimmerman|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet this complexity and extension represent nothing positive; they express a deficiency of will.
Creative Evolution|Henri Bergson
The boundaries of forms with any complexity, such as the human figure, are not continuous lines.
The Practice and Science Of Drawing|Harold Speed
The complexity of the world charms us, its 'downs' as well as its 'ups,' its abysses and glooms no less than its sunny levels.
The Meaning of Good--A Dialogue|G. Lowes Dickinson
The development commences with a state of simplicity, and advances gradually to one of complexity.
Studies in the Theory of Descent (Volumes 1 and 2)|August Weismann
The additional complication introduced by the cut-off relay is more than offset by the saving in complexity of the jacks.
Cyclopedia of Telephony and Telegraphy, Vol. 2|Kempster Miller

British Dictionary definitions for complexity

complexity

/ (kəmˈplɛksɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being intricate or complex

something intricate or complex; complication

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for complexity