complected

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adjective com·plect·ed \ kəm-ˈplek-təd \

Definition of complected

:having a specified facial complexion

a tall, thin man, fairly dark complected
—E. J. Kahn

Usage of complected

Not an error, nor a dialectal term, nor nonstandard—all of which it has been labeled—complected still manages to raise hackles. It is an Americanism, almost nonexistent in British English. Its currency in American English is attested as early as 1806 (by Meriwether Lewis) and it appears in the works of such notable American writers as Mark Twain, O. Henry, James Whitcomb Riley, and William Faulkner. The synonym complexioned, recommended by handbooks, appears now to be somewhat more common than complected in both literary and journalistic use.

Recent Examples of complected from the Web

He was described as a light-complected black male in his early 20s who was wearing all blue clothing.

— toriano porter, kansascity.com, "Three people unhurt after car is taken at gunpoint from gas station in Raytown," 23 June 2017
Here, in the midst of uncomplicated prettiness, stands the 5,500-square-foot rough-complected gray concrete cube, its presence both a rebuke to the area’s bourgeois pretensions as well as a reminder of its recent totalitarian history.

— gisela williams, New York Times, "A Former German Underwear Factory, Now an Elegant Concrete Villa," 15 Mar. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'complected.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.