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.
Safety net programs like SSI don’t have to be so complicated and thus expensive, LaCanfora and others at the agency said.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
“If you have a complicated job,” he said, “it’s almost necessary to have an equally complicated hobby.”
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026
This Musk v Altman trial is transpiring as the public has only just started to grapple with AI's complicated entry into our lives.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
“It’s complicated and its not something I would condone … but the more attention that Scientology gets, the worse it is for Scientology,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Simple errors can be fixed with an eraser; more complicated blunders require an apology and a sincere effort to make things right.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
