convoluted
Americanadjective
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twisted; coiled.
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complicated; intricately involved.
a convoluted way of describing a simple device.
adjective
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(esp of meaning, style, etc) difficult to comprehend; involved
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wound together; coiled
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of convoluted
Explanation
If something is convoluted, it's intricate and hard to understand. You'll need to read over your brother's convoluted investment scheme a few times before deciding whether or not to go in on it. Convoluted comes from the Latin convolutus for rolled up together. Its original meaning in English was exactly that, first for eaves coiled up on themselves, then for anything rolled or knotted together. Over time convoluted took on its metaphorical sense of complicated and intricate, which is how it's generally used today. People complain about convoluted legal language and the convoluted tax code.
Vocabulary lists containing convoluted
The Glass Castle
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"Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez
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The Color of Water
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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.
Convoluted rules and traditions build up over the years, like plaque, or legislative detritus.
From Washington Post • Jan. 31, 2023
Convoluted and sometimes willfully opaque, “Bacurau” nonetheless marks an intriguing entry on the CV of a filmmaker who nearly always surprises.
From Washington Post • Mar. 25, 2020
In March, Fonda contributed a personal and revealing piece to Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter called My Convoluted Journey to Feminism, in which she charted the disconnect between her own life and the feminist movement.
From The Guardian • May 4, 2016
Convoluted foreclosure processes that require judges’ approval in states like Connecticut are also weighing on the market and will continue to do so, says Whalen.
From BusinessWeek • Nov. 30, 2012
Of the many iron stoves, Messrs. Constantine's "Convoluted" stove has been adopted the most frequently, as an eminently practical furnace for the effective heating of the sudatory chambers.
From The Turkish Bath Its Design and Construction by Allsop, Robert Owen
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.
