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:
The hand-spun yarn dyed in natural colours is woven on handlooms, packing in between 300 and several thousand knots per square inch, depending on the intricacy of the design.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Enough of the intricacy and the controversy, anyway.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
But the Houthis had developed a network to track American warplanes with observers, optics and infrared sensors whose intricacy U.S. officials didn’t entirely understand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
Under it all, though, is an alluring intricacy in the instrumental ensemble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025
They see the nuance of the costumes, the intricacy of the signs.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
When “Transamerica” premiered, the average American didn’t spend much time thinking about bathroom gender markers, much less trying to understand the intricacies of the trans experience.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
“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
Ten-year-old Martin spent hours beside his father, ready to hand over a needed tool, studying the correct way to wax, and discovering the well-crafted intricacies of a Porsche engine.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
