complication

American  

[kom-pli-key-shuhn] / ˌkɒm plɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of complicating.

2. a complicated or involved state or condition.

3. a complex combination of elements or things.

4. something that introduces, usually unexpectedly, some difficulty, problem, change, etc..

   Because of the complications involved in traveling during the strike, we decided to postpone our trip.

   Synonyms:

   obstacle, handicap, drawback

5. Pathology. a concurrent disease, accident, or adverse reaction that aggravates the original disease.

6. the act of forming a unified idea or impression from a number of sense data, memories, etc.

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complication British  

/ ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a condition, event, etc, that is complex or confused

2. the act or process of complicating

3. a situation, event, or condition that complicates or frustrates

   her coming was a serious complication

4. a disease or disorder arising as a consequence of another disease

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Other Word Forms

• complicative adjective
• precomplication noun
• recomplication noun

Etymology

Origin of complication

1605–15; < Late Latin complicātīon- (stem of complicātiō ), equivalent to complicāt ( us ) ( complicate ) + -īon- -ion

Explanation

A complication is a difficult circumstance or a confused condition, like the complication you cause when you invite a dozen strangers to Thanksgiving dinner. Complications can range from the one your teacher faces when you lose your pet snake in the classroom to the complications that occur during surgery, making recovery more difficult. The plot of your favorite book probably involves several complications for the characters, events or situations that make the ending uncertain or create a dilemma. Complication comes from the Latin complicāre, "to fold together," which makes sense since something with many folds is more complicated than something that's flat.

Example Sentences

U.S. doctors are getting the word out about how to spot a rare measles complication that had been a relic of the past: subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Bieber cancelled his world tour after revealing he was suffering from facial paralysis, after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome - a complication from contracting shingles - in 2022.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Sanctions add another layer of complication, lawyers said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Currently, no medications exist to prevent or treat this complication, which affects up to 15% of patients after surgery.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026

The first complication cropped up soon after Nick's return.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

Related Words

• complexity
• confusion
• difficulty
• obstacle
• problem
• snag