complication

American  

[kom-pli-key-shuhn] / ˌkɒm plɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of complicating.

2. a 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.

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complication British  

/ 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

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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 ) ( see complicate) + -īon- -ion

Explanation

A complication is a difficult circumstance or a confused condition, like the complication you cause when you invite a dozen strangers to Thanksgiving dinner. Complications can range from the one your teacher faces when you lose your pet snake in the classroom to the complications that occur during surgery, making recovery more difficult. The plot of your favorite book probably involves several complications for the characters, events or situations that make the ending uncertain or create a dilemma. Complication comes from the Latin complicāre, "to fold together," which makes sense since something with many folds is more complicated than something that's flat.

Example Sentences

After the Decade One auction on 9 November, auctioneers Phillips said the sale of the J Player & Sons Hyper Complication Pocket Watch had set a world record for an antique British pocket watch.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

Complication, of course, comes standard in high school relationships, even those that don’t involve witchcraft or cannibalism.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023

Complication: Graceland and the other “Elvis” sets were wrapped in plastic for nearly a year due to the pandemic shutdown.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2023

Complication No. 1: According to the 2020 exit polls, 35 percent of voters said that the economy was their most important issue.

From Washington Post • Nov. 19, 2020

Complication only comes in with the interpretation we put on them.

From The Life of the Spirit and the Life of To-day by Underhill, Evelyn

Related Words

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