complexity

[ kuh m-plek-si-tee ]

/ kəmˈplɛk sɪ ti /

SEE 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.

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Origin of complexity

First recorded in 1715–25; complex + -ity

OTHER WORDS FROM complexity

in·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.

Words nearby complexity

complex wave, complexing agent, complexion, complexioned, complexionless, complexity, complexity theory, complexometric titration, complexometry, complexone, compliable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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

complexity

noun, plural com·plex·i·ties for 2.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Origin of complexity

OTHER WORDS FROM complexity

Words nearby complexity

Words related to complexity

Example sentences from the Web for complexity

British Dictionary definitions for complexity

noun plural -ties