complication
Americannoun
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the act of complicating.
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a complicated complicated or involved state or condition.
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a complex combination of elements or things.
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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.
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Pathology. a concurrent disease, accident, or adverse reaction that aggravates the original disease.
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the act of forming a unified idea or impression from a number of sense data, memories, etc.
noun
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a condition, event, etc, that is complex or confused
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the act or process of complicating
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a situation, event, or condition that complicates or frustrates
her coming was a serious complication
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a disease or disorder arising as a consequence of another disease
Other Word Forms
- complicative adjective
- precomplication noun
- recomplication noun
Etymology
Origin of complication
1605–15; < Late Latin complicātīon- (stem of complicātiō ), equivalent to complicāt ( us ) ( complicate ) + -īon- -ion
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.
Families have been urged to ensure their children are up to date with their immunisations against the highly contagious disease, which can cause serious health complications.
From BBC
"It's been a journey and it hasn't always been an easy journey," said Sahir, aged 49, who has recently experienced health complications.
From BBC
In December 2025 Luxe said on social media her husband had been rushed to Warwick Hospital with organ failure, and later contracted neutropenic sepsis which can be a complication of chemotherapy.
From BBC
The shelter system has come under fire for failing to exercise and socialize dogs properly even without the complication of illness.
From Los Angeles Times
While there are ways to further corroborate one’s identity, some experts warn the bureaucratic burden may turn people off registering altogether due to complications — preventing citizens from being able to cast a ballot.
From Salon
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.
