convoluted

adjective

con·​vo·​lut·​ed ˈkän-və-ˌlü-təd 

1

: having convolutions

a ram with convoluted horns

2

: involved, intricate

a convoluted argument

Did you know?

The Origin of Convoluted Isn't

Convoluted comes from Latin convolvere, meaning "to roll up, coil, or twist." It is related to the verb convolute, meaning "to twist or coil." Once something is twisted it can be literally and figuratively difficult to unravel, and can be convoluted.

Synonyms

• baroque
• byzantine
• complex
• complicate
• complicated
• daedal
• elaborate
• intricate
• involute
• involved
• knotty
• labyrinthian
• labyrinthine
• sophisticated
• tangled

Examples of convoluted in a Sentence

At base stands a profound respect for the integrity of history and the complex and convoluted relationship between present and the past. —Ira Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001

They are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone … —Margaret Atwood, Harper's, August 1990

… she has been fashioning sequences of plans too convoluted to materialize … —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984

To therapists, stepfamilies may present convoluted psychological dilemmas … —Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Family Politics, 1983

a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before

Recent Examples on the Web

Each side crafts convoluted policy proposals based on these assumptions. —Evan S. Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

To plan convoluted tours like this one, trajectory planners use computer models that meticulously calculate the trajectory one step at a time. —Quanta Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of convolute

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing convoluted

• convoluted tubule
• distal convoluted tubule
• proximal convoluted tubule

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Kids Definition

convoluted

adjective

con·​vo·​lut·​ed ˈkän-və-ˌlüt-əd 

1

: folded or curved in twisted windings

especially : having convolutions

2

: complicated in form : intricate

convoluted phrasing

Medical Definition

convoluted

adjective

con·​vo·​lut·​ed -ˌlü-təd 

: folded in curved or tortuous windings

specifically : having convolutions

the highly convoluted human cerebral cortex