complex 1 of 3

complex

2 of 3

noun

1
as in facility
a structure that is designed and built for a particular purpose an apartment complex

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in system
something made up of many interdependent or related parts a complex of government programs designed to assist the needy

Synonyms & Similar Words

complex

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective complex differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of complex are complicated, intricate, involved, and knotty. While all these words mean "having confusingly interrelated parts," complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

When is complicated a more appropriate choice than complex?

While the synonyms complicated and complex are close in meaning, complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

When might intricate be a better fit than complex?

The synonyms intricate and complex are sometimes interchangeable, but intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

When is it sensible to use involved instead of complex?

Although the words involved and complex have much in common, involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

When would knotty be a good substitute for complex?

While in some cases nearly identical to complex, knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complex
Adjective
This forces any mission that wants to explore Jupiter, or any of the inner moons that are close to Jupiter (including the four large, major Galilean moons), to work within a series of very complex constraints. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025 In such a large, complex, dangerous, and confusing world, can one person make a difference to anything? Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
The complex sits north of West Division Street on North Fielder Road. Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025 Travellers—which owns and operates the Newport World Resorts, a casino complex next to the country’s main international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport—will have majority interest. Ian Sayson, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for complex
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complex
Adjective
  • The Music City Loop combines multiple complicated aspirations dreamed up by Musk, and few of them have succeeded at accomplishing the feat they were created for.
    Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The death sets off a chain of events that forces Lilian to revisit her fractured family life and complicated bond with her ex-husband.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • When my father showed the then-curator of the Musée d’Horlogerie the enamels in our collection, she was blown away by the exquisite quality and intricate details of our enamels and jeweled pieces.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • This image depicts intricate frost formations on the frozen surface of Lake Harriet during an Arctic Blast in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 20, 2025.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For example, the value of the Dallas Cowboys excludes The Star, the team's 91-acre headquarters, practice facility and commercial real estate.
    Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The company is now developing ACT 3, a large-scale facility expected to recover battery minerals from up to 24,000 vehicles each year.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Bondi, 59, intervened in a number of cases to alter the criteria for granting asylum in her role as the head of the immigration-court system, The Wall Street Journal reported.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That means your contract will be administered by a third party, American Auto Shield, which can complicate the claims approval process.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • There are a number of majority-minority districts in blue states as well which, if viewed by the Court as unconstitutionally created, could further complicate blue-state efforts to respond to Texas-style extreme gerrymandering.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • These Sandy Mule Flats from Target’s fashion line A New Day are ideal for cool weather, look sophisticated without sacrificing comfort, and are currently marked down to just $24 over Labor Day weekend.
    Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • In a tasting, sophisticated balance is the most prominent factor.
    Andy Vasoyan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For the most detailed and accurate soil tests, send your samples to a soil lab.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Together the trio will execute their detailed schemes.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The company’s leadership also includes several figures with ties to the Biden administration, giving Anthropic the look of a Democratic insider network.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Thousands of London Underground staff—including drivers, signalers and maintenance workers—began rolling strike action on Sunday, triggering severe disruption across the city's subway network and threatening almost complete suspension of Tube services through Thursday.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complex.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complex. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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