complication

noun

ˌkäm-plə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce complication (audio)
Definition of complicationnext
1
as in difficulty
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult the food allergies of the guests were just another complication for the couple trying to plan their wedding reception

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2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning complications set in after the surgery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in complexity
the state or quality of having many interrelated parts or aspects a problem of such irreducible complication as to defy any easy solution

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 complication About 80% of people who become infected do not develop symptoms, while fewer than 1% develop severe illness or neurological complications. — Jessie Baltaxe, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 The season will find Lee teaming with a public defender, played by Betty Gilpin, on a case while also dealing with complications in his own life, some of them self-inflicted. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Postpartum depression affects roughly 1 in 7 to 1 in 8 women after childbirth, making it among the most common complications of pregnancy. — Jamie Maguire, STAT, 12 Aug. 2026 He was initially given little chance of survival and even less chance of living life without major complications. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for complication
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complication
  1. difficulty
  2. disease
  3. complexity
  4. ailment
  5. illness
  6. condition
  7. ill
  8. disorder
Noun
  • Adults with eating disorders may also have difficulty accessing appropriate support.
    — Miranda Roberts, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Construction in the remote canyon presented difficulties, including limited working space, persistent humidity and fog, and the need for regular checks of the steel structure.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of difficulty
Noun
  • Those enrolled have experienced CLBP due to degenerative disc disease (DDD) for less than five years.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Prices of the precious commodity have swung dramatically from one season to the next, particularly as issues such as climate change, water scarcity and pest and disease pressures persist.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of disease
Noun
  • As families grow and increase in complexity over time, different members often also have varying objectives around liquidity.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In practical terms, the study suggests a preference for agentic AI to simplify drudge work and logistics, such as narrowing choices or suggesting better options, rather than taking full control of emotionally loaded or high-complexity decisions.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of complexity
Noun
  • In this high silk topper The Big Bambino was on top of the world with no premonition that a serious throat ailment would lead to his death in a few short years.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Chapman won’t play another game for the Giants this year after undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this week, but the 33-year-old has finally addressed an ailment that’s bothered him for effectively the whole season.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of ailment
Noun
  • Several iterations of the idea have since taken shape, expanding to refugees, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors with chronic illness.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The sources haven’t been identified for nine of the ongoing foodborne illness outbreaks and two of the ongoing Salmonella outbreaks.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of illness
Noun
  • One owner of an EFL club, who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, was more pessimistic.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The last three Democratic presidents inherited terrible economic conditions and had to spend to rescue the country from soaring joblessness, the housing crisis and the pandemic, respectively.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • Alex Pantling/Getty Images What is clear is that no one thinks the changes enacted in either the Championship or League One are a resolution to the EFL’s marked financial ills.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Blaming billionaire wealth-hoarding for America’s ills would poll very well among the nation’s anthropology departments.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of ill
Noun
  • A number of cardiovascular conditions—including atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder—are linked to cardiac neurons.
    — Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The study connected gut inflammation in 12 children to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of disorder

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complicating
complication
complications
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Cite this Entry

“Complication.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complication. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of complication for Spanish Speakers

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