noun
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the state or quality of being intricate or complex
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something intricate or complex; complication
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of complexity
Explanation
Is the movie simple or does it have lots of plot twists and intricate relationships between characters? If the latter is true, the movie's complexity makes it hard to understand. When you see the word complexity, think of something with a lot of pieces, something not easy to put into words or understand. Things that can have complexity include: the events leading up to the American Civil War, a broth made with many ingredients, your relationship with your parents. Complexity is the opposite of simplicity. When something has a lot of complexity, you say it is complex. When it has very little complexity, it is simple.
Vocabulary lists containing complexity
List 2
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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:
“I appreciate her lyrics and their literary complexity, but don’t really seek out her music,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
Another complexity for the team was the allegations were all "non-recent".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The findings suggest that the method could provide highly accurate quantum state reconstruction without the additional complexity of auxiliary qubits.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
Most food retailers lack proprietary last-mile delivery networks, given the costs and complexity of building them out, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
These considerations, along with the just mentioned correlation between regional population size and societal complexity, have led to a protracted chicken-or-egg debate about the causal relations between food production, population variables, and societal complexity.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
But the complexities of the situation mean the sport remains in limbo, and the races are going ahead as a default position.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Some experts have questioned whether Russia can meet the schedule for diesel deliveries, in part because of the complexities of transporting the oil within Russia to its ports and thence to its destination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Developing technology to facilitate 24/7 trading is more straightforward than the legal and regulatory complexities required for it to run smoothly, Lowe adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Unusually, Turkey must navigate these complexities with Australia, a major fossil fuel exporter, after both countries agreed to share COP31 duties following a bruising hosting battle.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
I began to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of race in America.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
