complication

[ kom-pli-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of complicating.
2. a complicated complicated or involved state or condition.
3. a complex combination of elements or things.
4. something that introduces, usually unexpectedly, some difficulty, problem, change, etc.:

   Because of the complications involved in traveling during the strike, we decided to postpone our trip.

   Synonyms: obstacle, handicap, drawback

5. Pathology. a concurrent disease, accident, or adverse reaction that aggravates the original disease.
6. the act of forming a unified idea or impression from a number of sense data, memories, etc.

complication

/ ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a condition, event, etc, that is complex or confused
2. the act or process of complicating
3. a situation, event, or condition that complicates or frustrates

   her coming was a serious complication

4. a disease or disorder arising as a consequence of another disease

Other Words From

• compli·cative adjective
• precom·pli·cation noun
• recom·pli·cation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of complication¹

1605–15; < Late Latin complicātīon- (stem of complicātiō ), equivalent to complicāt ( us ) ( complicate ) + -īon- -ion

Example Sentences

At the time, his daughter Corinne Foxx said he had experienced a "medical complication" but the family did not share details about his health issues.

From BBC

His daughter, Corrine Foxx posted a statement sharing that her father had "medical complications" and asked people to keep him in their thoughts as he recovered.

From Salon

It also said there had been no complications during the surgery.

From BBC

But for Cuba, there are other complications in play.

From BBC

Adele lost 15 litres after her caesarean delivery, due to complications.

From BBC

Related Words

• complexity
• confusion
• difficulty
• obstacle
• problem
• snag