adjective
Other Word Forms
- complicatedly adverb
- complicatedness noun
- uncomplicated adjective
Etymology
Origin of complicated
First recorded in 1640–50; complicate + -ed 2
Explanation
When things get complicated, they are no longer simple and straightforward. If you are asked a question that would require a long, detailed answer, you might just say, "It's complicated." The word complicated came about in the 1640's to mean "tangled" or "difficult to unravel." This makes sense, considering it came from the Latin verb complicāre, meaning "to fold together." Consider that something with many folds is more complicated than something flat. Novelist Robert Ludlum said, "Life is extremely complicated," but Confucius long ago suggested that "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." Just having those two opposing viewpoints indicates how complicated life can be.
Vocabulary lists containing complicated
Schooled
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Twelve Angry Men
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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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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.
It’s preposterous to think that, even with the best of intentions on both sides, a peace as complicated as this could have been settled in one day.
From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026
“A Good Day’s Work” sets out to recast Moses as more complicated than the cheerful, childlike images her name conjures and as a legitimizer of self-taught art.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
It's easy to think that all seven are competitive everywhere, but it is more complicated than that.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
“They’re getting more complicated, like with wetness indicators and things that bring in new chemicals into the mix and that aren’t clearly disclosed to consumers and to parents.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
He offers Leo his hand and they do some complicated handshake.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
