- past participle of complicate.
- past tense form of complicate.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of complicated
First recorded in 1640–50; complicate + -ed 2
Explanation
When things get complicated, they are no longer simple and straightforward. If you are asked a question that would require a long, detailed answer, you might just say, "It's complicated." The word complicated came about in the 1640's to mean "tangled" or "difficult to unravel." This makes sense, considering it came from the Latin verb complicāre, meaning "to fold together." Consider that something with many folds is more complicated than something flat. Novelist Robert Ludlum said, "Life is extremely complicated," but Confucius long ago suggested that "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." Just having those two opposing viewpoints indicates how complicated life can be.
Vocabulary lists containing complicated
Schooled
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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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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.
“He’s very disciplined. He makes it look easier than it is. I mean, this is a guy who writes long, involved, complicated, complex, nuanced novels, and they come out in ways that you don’t expect.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Those early skills help children approach more complicated challenges as they grow older, such as learning to read and solving math problems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Peer into one of social media’s dark corners: Family estrangement is one of the most complicated situations to navigate for parents and children alike.
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026
He talked about his complicated relationship with his father and brother - recognising that it was something that was "massively relatable" for the public.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The story of these presidents and their connection to slavery is a complicated one.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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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.
