intricacy

noun in·tri·ca·cy \ ˈin-tri-kə-sē \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

plural intricacies

1 : the quality or state of being intricate

2 : something intricate

the intricacies of a plot

See intricacy defined for English-language learners

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Examples of intricacy in a Sentence

She admired the composition for its beauty and intricacy.
I had trouble following all the intricacies in the plot.
the intricacies of English grammar

Recent Examples of intricacy from the Web

Congress passed a massive tax overhaul as 2017 drew to a close that left tax professionals scrambling to educate themselves on the intricacies of the updated tax code.

— cleveland.com, "13 organizations making Northeast Ohio greener," 10 Apr. 2018
Lonergan’s outsider perspective and his unfamiliarity with the intricacies of the turn-of-the-century British class system resulted in a story that’s more accessible for American audiences.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "How Hayley Atwell and Kenneth Lonergan Explode Stuffy Expectations in Howards End," 5 Apr. 2018
But if Houston and Ford get nicked up and Kpassagnon still hasn't mastered the mental side of the game (or the intricacies of holding the edge), the Chiefs could be in trouble here.

— terez a. paylor, kansascity, "Five positions the Chiefs could upgrade before the 2018 season | The Kansas City Star," 26 Mar. 2018
No longer are the stakes confined to the intricacies of your news feed.

— benjamin oreskes, latimes.com, "Essential California: Silicon Valley may be headed for a reckoning," 23 Mar. 2018
The music draws a listener in and then repays closer attention with a wealth of contrapuntal intricacy and rhythmic vitality.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "CD review: Elena Ruehr, String Quartets," 21 Mar. 2018
With the help of Daptone Records’ founder Bosco Mann (Hunter is Daptone’s first UK signing), Hunter digs deep, weaving a record that captures the intricacies of love.

— courtney devores, charlotteobserver, "8 buzzworthy concerts coming to Charlotte in the next week | Charlotte Observer," 28 Mar. 2018
Once a driver and team figure out the intricacies of the track, that knowledge generally carries over from race to race, Keselowski said.

— mike hembree, USA TODAY, "Brad Keselowski among favorites a year after breakthrough win at NASCAR's shortest track," 24 Mar. 2018
These are intriguing hybrids, with the melodic soul of a folk tune but the harmonic intricacy (especially in the accompaniments) of a sophisticated urban observer.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Enchanting opera recital by young soprano Toni Marie Palmertree," 22 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of intricacy

1602

intricacy Synonyms

INTRICACY Defined for English Language Learners

intricacy

noun

: the quality or state of being complex or having many parts : the quality or state of being intricate
: something that is complex or detailed : something intricate

INTRICACY Defined for Kids

intricacy

noun in·tri·ca·cy \ ˈin-tri-kə-sē \

plural intricacies

1 : the quality or state of being complex or having many parts

2 : something that is complex or has many parts

Learn More about intricacy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for intricacy Spanish Central: Translation of intricacy Nglish: Translation of intricacy for Spanish speakers

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