English Meaning & Definitions
A circumstance that makes a situation more complex, difficult, or confusing.
- “A sudden snowstorm introduced an unexpected complication to our travel plans.”
- “The project faced several complications due to budget cuts.”
A secondary disease or condition that develops in the course of a primary disease.
- “Pneumonia can be a severe complication of the flu.”
- “The surgery went well, but there were postoperative complications.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “complication”.
Derived from the Late Latin 'complicatio' (a folding together, entanglement), from the Latin verb 'complicare' ('com-' together + 'plicare' to fold). Originally used in medicine and philosophy to describe a folding or entangling of parts, it evolved in general English to mean any circumstance that makes a situation more difficult or complex.
Think of a complex 'application' that has too many folds or layers added to it—making it a 'complication'.
Frequently Asked Questions About “complication”
1. What is the meaning of “complication” in English?
In English, complication (noun) is defined as: “A circumstance that makes a situation more complex, difficult, or confusing.”.
2. How do you use “complication” in a sentence?
“A sudden snowstorm introduced an unexpected complication to our travel plans.”
3. What are English synonyms of “complication”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “complication”?
Derived from the Late Latin 'complicatio' (a folding together, entanglement), from the Latin verb 'complicare' ('com-' together + 'plicare' to fold). Originally used in medicine and philosophy to describe a folding or entangling of parts, it evolved in general English to mean any circumstance that makes a situation more difficult or complex.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.