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

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complex systems
large systems
large-scale systems
hard systems
advanced systems
complex problems
intricate problems
tough problems
sophistical problems
convoluted problems
confusing problems
a complex structure
a difficult structure
a complicated structure
a detailed structure
a large structure
an elaborate structure
complex interactions
sophisticated interactions
detailed interactions
deep interactions
multiple interactions
several interactions
a complex process
a hard process
a long process
a massive process
an involved process
a huge process

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
However, the way this money circulates within Gaza is far more complex. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025 On the 16th hole, Phillips' ball ended up near the lake, home to alligators, making the situation more complex. Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
Her father was a maintenance manager for apartment complexes and condo buildings in California before moving the family to Loxahatchee, Florida, when Virginia was in grade school. Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2025 Shariff was attacked three blocks away from his home, inside a W. 104th St. building near Columbus Ave., in NYCHA’s Frederick Douglass II Houses complex, around 11:55 p.m. on April 18. Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for complex
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complex
Adjective
  • The Princess of Wales is coming off a very complicated year.
    Blanche Marcel, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Admittedly, the show started to lose some momentum in later seasons as subplots and shifting relationships became more complicated.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Straightforward shapes like circles and triangles become intricate and complex in his treatments, enticing viewers and demanding to be examined closely.
    Stephanie Rudig, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The ornate dress married sheer dressing with a romantic sensibility, featuring a flowing skirt and sleeveless bodice with intricate mesh work.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The facility also has office space, dormitories and private sleeping spaces for VIPs, and training rooms.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Crowded detention facilities filled with families and children defined President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
    Dolores K. Schroeder, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Yale New Haven Health is a nonprofit healthcare system based in New Haven, Connecticut.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
  • The nation also operates on a different system that precludes simply copying and pasting Germany’s rules.
    Akielly Hu, Wired News, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the picture for other automakers is complicated, to say the least.
    Justin Worland, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The United States’s relationship with Pakistan and India is complicated, though Pakistan has been more favored in the past.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The key benefits of integration include: • Enhanced Threat Detection: By unifying security tools, organizations can achieve a holistic view of their threat landscape, enabling the identification of sophisticated attacks that might evade stand-alone systems.
    Bob Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • According to Google, zero-day exploits are becoming increasingly easy for threat actors to develop and procure, which has led to more sophisticated attacks.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The teen, who hails from the English city of Chelmsford, underwent more detailed scans at his follow-up appointment, when doctors discovered a large tumor in his brain — a diffuse glioma, stage 4.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Creating Strategy Without Meaning Many leaders mistake detailed strategic plans for true vision.
    Nirmal Chhabria, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Its network of electric vehicle chargers benefits thousands of drivers daily, especially since they can be used to charge non-Tesla EVs.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The company has already announced preparations for the second phase of the project: the expansion of the network of plants within a radius of 150 kilometers and the creation of another 10,000 jobs.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complex.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complex. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

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