complexity

[kuhm-plek-si-tee]

noun

plural

complexities 

1. the state or quality of being complex; intricacy.

   the complexity of urban life.

2. something complex.

   the complexities of foreign policy.

complexity

/ kəmˈplɛksɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being intricate or complex

2. something intricate or complex; complication

Other Word Forms

• intercomplexity noun
• overcomplexity noun
• supercomplexity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of complexity¹

First recorded in 1715–25; complex + -ity

Example Sentences

Both the actor and the character were comfortable being complicated individuals and wading through the complexities around them — because after all, problems in life and in good fiction are rarely simple.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Samuel Hickling, the chief scientific officer at ARC Marine, said the intention was to "replicate the complexity that you get in a natural reef, so you can get reef building species settling on it".

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The judge, Mr Justice Conners, issued an absolute discharge, acknowledging the complexity of the case.

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But the US officials stressed the complexity involved in getting the remaining bodies from the ruins, echoing Hamas's own complaints that it could not retrieve more without specialized equipment.

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However, using the technology “brings challenges related to thermal management, integration complexity, and manufacturability,” the company wrote.

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Related Words

• complication 
• intricacy 
• ramification