labyrinth

American  

[lab-uh-rinth] / ˈlæb ə rɪnθ /

noun

1. an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit.

   Synonyms:

   web, network, maze

2. a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out.

3. a complicated or tortuous arrangement, as of streets or buildings.

   Synonyms:

   knot, tangle, snarl, jungle, maze, warren

4. any confusingly intricate state of things or events; a bewildering complex.

   His papers were lost in an hellish bureaucratic labyrinth.

   After the death of her daughter, she wandered in a labyrinth of sorrow for what seemed like a decade.

   Synonyms:

   morass, forest, jungle, wilderness

5. Classical Mythology. Labyrinth. a vast maze built in Crete by Daedalus, at the command of King Minos, to house the Minotaur.

6. Anatomy.

   1. the internal ear, consisting of a bony portion bony labyrinth and a membranous portion membranous labyrinth.

   2. the aggregate of air chambers in the ethmoid bone, between the eye and the upper part of the nose.

7. a mazelike pattern inlaid in the pavement of a church.

8. Also called acoustic labyrinth;.  Also called acoustical labyrinth.  Audio. a loudspeaker enclosure with air chambers at the rear for absorbing sound waves radiating in one direction so as to prevent their interference with waves radiated in another direction.

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Labyrinth ¹ British  

/ ˈlæbərɪnθ /

noun

1. Greek myth a huge maze constructed for King Minos in Crete by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur

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labyrinth ² British  

/ ˈlæbərɪnθ /

noun

1. a mazelike network of tunnels, chambers, or paths, either natural or man-made Compare maze

2. any complex or confusing system of streets, passages, etc

3. a complex or intricate situation

4. 1. any system of interconnecting cavities, esp those comprising the internal ear

   2. another name for internal ear

5. electronics an enclosure behind a high-performance loudspeaker, consisting of a series of air chambers designed to absorb unwanted sound waves

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labyrinth Scientific  

/ lăb′ə-rĭnth′ /

1. The system of interconnecting canals and spaces that make up the inner ear of many vertebrates. The labyrinth has both a bony component, made up of the cochlea, the semicircular canals, and the vestibule, and a membranous one.

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Labyrinth Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, a vast maze on the island of Crete. The great inventor Daedalus designed it, and the king of Crete kept the Minotaur in it. Very few people ever escaped from the Labyrinth. One was Theseus, the killer of the Minotaur.

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Discover More

A labyrinth can be literally a maze or figuratively any highly intricate construction or problem.

Etymology

Origin of labyrinth

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek labýrinthos; replacing earlier laborynt, from Medieval Latin laborintus, Latin, as above

Explanation

A labyrinth is a structure with many connected paths or passages in which it is hard to find your way. In figurative use, a labyrinth is a complicated situation: our tax code is a labyrinth of rules and regulations. In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was the structure built for King Minos of Crete to confine the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. The word maze is a near synonym for labyrinth, and is also used figuratively, as in, "After war broke out, trying to figure out how to get a visa to leave the country was like navigating a maze, a veritable labyrinth of wrong turns and false hope."

Example Sentences

There’s a labyrinth of restrictions that make HSAs confusing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

But he was also floating within the major label labyrinth, which often came with financial expectations that put artistic expression in the back seat.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Verified footage from Monday shows shattered glass and scorched walls at the Grand Bazaar, a sprawling labyrinth of shops and stalls which has stood for centuries.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Deep inside this winding narrative labyrinth, Seyfried relishes the chance to show off her dynamism.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

A labyrinth, Josie remembered, only had one route through.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• tangle