Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of intricacy
First recorded in 1595–1605; intric(ate) + -acy
Explanation
The noun intricacy means a quality of being complex or elaborately detailed. You could compliment the intricacy of your friend's complicated hairdo. A delicate piece of jewelry, twisted with decorative strands of silver, can be admired for its intricacy, and an overly complex piece of legislation might be criticized for its intricacy. You could also talk about the intricacy of the universe, or the intricacy of the human body. Intricacy comes from the Latin root word intricatus, which means "entangled."
Vocabulary lists containing intricacy
Power Suffix: -acy
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War Horse
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Pet
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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.
See Examples For:
Concrete was the logical and obvious solution, but to pour concrete into the proper shapes required wooden molds, which in this case meant shapes of sculptural intricacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Enough of the intricacy and the controversy, anyway.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
A convent girl with a creepy streak, Elizabeth sees beauty in biology, leaning over a corpse’s flayed back to appreciate the intricacy of its ventricles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
Natasha Rothwell’s spa manager Belinda is the sole character whose emotional trials are explored with nuance and intricacy.
From Salon ● Feb. 16, 2025
Here, people whisper, the Germans have renovated two kilometers of subterranean corridors under the medieval walls; they have built new defenses, new conduits, new escape routes, underground complexes of bewildering intricacy.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
“Because of this, platonic marriages can often end amicably. The couple may be able to communicate effectively about the intricacies of their case without the emotional pain that often comes with divorce.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
He leans on colleagues who are more tuned-in to the intricacies of sports fandom, and isn’t above texting friends for insights on certain matchups or rivalries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
They’ve spent the last year studying the intricacies of sportswear, and the last three months bringing those ideas to life.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
In fact, it’s got more pop DNA than many of its contemporaries — just don’t expect the intricacies to come from Mother Mary’s music or her mythology.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
She was holding up a paper warrior- saint, and he was all intricacies and light.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
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.
