- 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.
Requesting anonymity to comment on an ongoing investigation, the security official called the case "complicated and confusing", but that authorities would eventually announce who had launched the strike.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Like Diarra and Chris’ relationship status, the case of Paramount’s proposed marriage to Warner Bros. is complicated.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
However, new observations of a dramatic outburst led by Warwick Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Noel Castro Segura reveal a far more complicated feeding process.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
If your summer could use a little energy boost, forget the complicated smoothie — turn to one of these fresh book releases instead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“You don’t need to make that so complicated, you know. I’ve told you that before,” Pops said, after watching me log the details of one of the canoes I rented out that day.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions 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.
