Added 9 October 2026
complex
/ˈkɒmplɛks/ noun
In Latin: complicātus, involūtus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about complex at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts.
the complex of shopping malls, houses, and roads created a new town
- A compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated.
- (psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior.
adjective
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Complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts.
a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody
-
Difficult to analyze or understand.
a complicated problem
Origin
From French complexe, from Latin complexus, past participle of complector (“to entwine, encircle, compass, infold”), from com- (“together”) and plectō (“to weave, braid”). May be analyzed as com- + -plex. See complect. Doublet of complexus.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)