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intricate

[ in-tri-kit ]
/ ˈɪn trɪ kɪt /
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See synonyms for: intricate / intricateness on Thesaurus.com
adjective
having many interrelated parts or facets; entangled or involved: an intricate maze.
complex; complicated; hard to understand, work, or make: an intricate machine.
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Origin of intricate

1375–1425; late Middle English <Latin intrīcātus, past participle of intrīcāre to entangle, equivalent to in-in-2 + trīc(ae) perplexities + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM intricate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to intricate

baroque, complex, convoluted, difficult, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled, tortuous, tricky, abstruse, byzantine, can of worms, daedal, entangled, fancy, hard, high-tech, involved, obscure, perplexing

How to use intricate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for intricate

intricate
/ (ˈɪntrɪkɪt) /
adjective
difficult to understand; obscure; complex; puzzling
entangled or involvedintricate patterns

Derived forms of intricate

intricacy or intricateness, nounintricately, adverb

Word Origin for intricate

C15: from Latin intrīcāre to entangle, perplex, from in- ² + trīcae trifles, perplexities
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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