intricate
Americanadjective
-
having many interrelated parts or facets; entangled or involved.
an intricate maze.
- Synonyms:
- labyrinthine, tangled, knotty
-
complex; complicated; hard to understand, work, or make.
an intricate machine.
adjective
-
difficult to understand; obscure; complex; puzzling
-
entangled or involved
intricate patterns
Other Word Forms
- intricacy noun
- intricately adverb
- intricateness noun
- unintricate adjective
- unintricately adverb
- unintricateness noun
Etymology
Origin of intricate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin intrīcātus “entangled,” past participle of intrīcāre “to entangle,” from in- in- 2 + trīc(ae) “perplexities” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
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.
Though striking, clearly intricate and demanding to build, it’s about as sculpturally exciting as a Rubik’s Cube.
Verticillin A is notoriously hard to build because of its intricate chemical architecture.
From Science Daily
While the first installment played with a more procedural format, this season ramps up the intricate plotting that culminates in world-changing events with Maomao at its center.
From Salon
The region supported plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and large numbers of invertebrates, creating one of the most intricate marine food webs ever identified.
From Science Daily
For the intricate plasterwork, he hired the same artisans who had worked on the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
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.
