adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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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.
While the news came as a surprise, it also complicated Caitlin's treatment as Grace was no longer eligible to donate her stem cells to her sister due to their near-identical DNA.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“But it’s a complicated set of tradeoffs and this gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
“It’s a complicated set of tradeoffs and this gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best,” OpenAI added.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Alternative-asset managers’ pitch has gotten more complicated, though.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Instead it learned a complicated one: You can keep on making these loans, just don’t keep them on your books.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
