adjective
Other Word Forms
- complicatedly adverb
- complicatedness noun
- uncomplicated adjective
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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Twelve Angry Men
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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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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.
But Nike’s digital business has faced challenges in recent years, following a complicated rollout and more aggressive discounting from rivals.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
Analysts and ship-tracking data paint a complicated picture.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
"Centre stage we have Saraya, who is this mouthy, irreverent outsider, complicated, flawed, and it's her journey of realising all those attributes are the things that make her really special," Cooper said.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
The auction could become complicated particularly if Providence decides to unwind the business.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
They were left to grapple on their own with a lot of complicated financial theory.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
