- past tense form of complicate.
- past participle of complicate.
adjective
Other Word 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.
In the viral reaction to these dispatches, there seems to be a redemptive longing for a U.S. whose image has been complicated at home and abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
Glenn Harris, the president of racial justice organization Race Forward, told Salon that he views this year’s Juneteenth through a complicated lens.
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026
The killing of three Indian sailors by the US military last week further complicated the relationship.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Additionally, SpaceX has employed a complicated lock-up schedule that releases insider-owned shares slowly over the next several months.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
What could be so complicated that he kept me from my mom?
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
