complicated

[kom-pli-key-tid]

adjective

1. composed of elaborately interconnected parts; complex.

   complicated apparatus for measuring brain functions.

2. difficult to analyze, understand, explain, etc..

   a complicated problem.

   Synonyms: knotty, tangled, involved

complicated

/ ˈkɒmplɪˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. made up of intricate parts or aspects that are difficult to understand or analyse

Other Word Forms

• complicatedly adverb
• complicatedness noun
• uncomplicated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of complicated¹

First recorded in 1640–50; complicate + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Liam's parents say when they adopted him, they were told all he would need was love - but the reality was far more complicated.

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Separating from the military takes months, and will almost certainly be complicated by a red flag in one’s record for disobeying orders.

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The meeting itself was unnecessarily complicated, but the result was resounding.

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The mathematics are complicated by the fact Qatar is a sprint event with a shorter race on Saturday in which drivers can also score points.

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There is an indirect impact on the Scottish government's finances through the complicated funding formulas that determine how much Holyrood receives from Westminster in the block grant.

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Related Words

• arduous 
• convoluted 
• difficult 
• fancy 
• hard 
• intricate 
• knotty 
• perplexing 
• problematic 
• sophisticated 
• troublesome