- past tense form of complicate.
- past participle 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.
James C. Scott called this legibility, the way institutions flatten complicated people into categories they can manage.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
The researchers say the findings point to a more complicated response inside the brain than previously recognized.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The court heard that the child also had sickle cell disease, which complicated the operation and increased the potential need for a blood transfusion.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Three screenings showcase the director’s stylish, morally complicated work: ‘Fatal Attraction,’ ‘Unfaithful’ and the theatrical premiere of ‘Deep Water.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
They are complicated contraptions with hundreds of parts, every one of which feeds back through wires to the control room.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
