Word forms: plural complexespronunciation note: The adjective is pronounced (kəmpleks) in American English.
1. adjective
Something that is complex has many different parts, and is therefore often difficult to understand.
...in-depth coverage of today's complex issues.
...a complex system of voting.
...her complex personality.
...complex machines.
Synonyms: complicated, difficult, involved, mixed More Synonyms of complex
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
In grammar, a complex sentence contains one or more subordinate clauses as well as a main clause. Compare compound, , simple.
3. countable noun
A complex is a group of buildings designed for a particular purpose, or one large buildingdivided into several smaller areas.
...plans for constructing a new stadium and leisure complex.
...a complex of offices and flats. [+ of]
4. countable noun [with supplement]
A complexof things is a group or system of things that are connected with each other in a complicated way.
...the complex of clans which occupied the land.
...the military-industrial complex.
5. countable noun
If someone has a complex about something, they have a mental or emotional problem relating to it, often because of an unpleasant experience in the past.
I have never had a complex about my height. [+ about]
...a deranged attacker, driven by a persecution complex.
Synonyms: obsession, preoccupation, phobia, fixation More Synonyms of complex
6. See also guilt complex, inferiority complex
More Synonyms of complex
English Easy Learning GrammarSentences and clausesA clause is a group of words which contains a verb. The verb in a clause can be finite Use this pan for the pasta. He missed the turnoff. or non-finite. To ... Read more
complex in British English
(ˈkɒmplɛks)
adjective
1.
made up of various interconnected parts; composite
2.
(of thoughts, writing, etc) intricate or involved
3. grammar
a.
(of a word) containing at least one bound form
b.
(of a noun phrase) containing both a lexical noun and an embedded clause, as for example the italicized parts of the following sentence: I didn't know the man who served me
c.
(of a sentence) formed by subordination of one clause to another
4. mathematics
of or involving one or more complex numbers
noun
5.
a whole made up of interconnected or related parts
a building complex
6. psychoanalysis
a group of emotional ideas or impulses that have been banished from the conscious mind but that continue to influence a person's behaviour
7. informal
an obsession or excessive fear
he's got a complex about losing his looks
8. Also called: coordination compound
a chemical compound in which molecules, groups, or ions are attached to a central metal atom, esp a transition metal atom, by coordinate bonds
9.
any chemical compound in which one molecule is linked to another by a coordinate bond
▶ USAGE Complex is sometimes wrongly used where complicated is meant. Complex is properly used to say only that something consists of several parts. It shouldnot be used to say that, because something consists of many parts, it is difficultto understand or analyse
Derived forms
complexly (ˈcomplexly)
adverb
complexness (ˈcomplexness)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin complexus, from complectī to entwine, from com- together + plectere to braid
complex in American English
(kɑmˈplɛks; ˈkɑmˌplɛks; kəmˈplɛks; for n. always ˈkɑmˌplɛks)
adjective
1.
consisting of two or more related parts
2.
not simple; involved or complicated
noun
3.
a group of interrelated ideas, activities, etc. that form, or are viewed as forming, a single whole
4.
an assemblage of units, as buildings or roadways, that together form a single, comprehensive group
5. Psychoanalysis
a.
an integration of impulses, ideas, and emotions related to a particular object, activity, etc., largely unconscious, but strongly influencing the individual's attitudes and behavior
b. Popularly
an exaggerated dislike or fear
SYNONYMY NOTE: complex refers to that which is made up of many elaborately interrelated or interconnectedparts, so that much study or knowledge is needed to understand or operate it [a complex mechanism]; complicated is applied to that which is highly complex and hence very difficult to analyze, solve,or understand [a complicated problem]; intricate specifically suggests a perplexingly elaborate interweaving of parts that is difficultto follow [an intricate maze]; involved, in this connection, is applied to situations, ideas, etc. whose parts are thoughtof as intertwining in complicated, often disordered, fashion [an involved argument]
OPPOSITE: simple
Derived forms
complexly (comˈplexly)
adverb
Word origin
< L complexus, pp. of complecti, to encircle, embrace < com-, with + plectere, to weave: see flax
complex in Chemical Engineering
(kɒmplɛks)
Word forms: (plural) complexes
noun
(Chemical Engineering: General)
A complex is a substance that is made when two or more simpler compounds join chemically.
Chloramines are chemical complexes formed from the reaction between ammonia and chlorine.
Ferric iron tends to form complexes with natural water organics.
A complex is a substance that is made when two or more simpler compounds join chemically.
complexing
Examples of 'complex' in a sentence
complex
The complex includes eight buildings encircled by a fortified wall.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
She has shown her willingness to intervene by announcing an overhaul of the complex rail ticketing system.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The residents have access to a leisure complex.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It gave me something of an inferiority complex.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The apparent uranium enrichment facility is being built within a larger research complex.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It can be a very complex system.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
This complex of buildings and routes through a landscape turns a short journey through space into a voyage through deep time.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
But it also helps that the 200million training complex is more comfortable than any hotel.
The Sun (2016)
But it is far more complex, and sponsorship is but one part of the whole piece.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Deals can take three to four years to thrash out, or up to a decade for complex ones.
The Sun (2017)
Why did anyone think building something this complex and difficult was a good investment?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The training complex also boasts a cinema.
The Sun (2014)
They can live in the same block or apartment complex for years and not know their neighbors.
Christianity Today (2000)
The result is a hugely complex tax system full of loopholes.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This complex must be formed at the site of damage.
Lashford, Stephanie The Residue Report - an action plan for safer food (1988)
It allows our body better access to the calories locked up within complex organic molecules.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This phobia is the brightest flower of my inferiority complex.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Some leisure complexes have already shown the path that can be trod.
Redwood, John The Global Marketplace (1993)
Yet the picture is a more complex one than that.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yet regulators in other countries might be unwilling to take on such large and complex banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We can stop enabling the victim mentality by overcoming our guilt complex.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There would be no military industrial complex in your country.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This lot could already speak the lingo enough to understand almost certainly complex comedic propositions.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The new media pose complex questions of law.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
PAs and secretaries today have complex and demanding roles.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
What we think of as personality is a complex product of all these forces.
Bee, Helen The Developing Child (7th edn.) (1995)
Looking for a quiet time in a tightly fitted multinational apartment complex?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But the system is more complex than this makes it sound.
Bee, Helen The Developing Child (7th edn.) (1995)
These are complex, emotional pieces played with dazzling technique.
The Sun (2008)
Investors counter that some companies hide behind pay consultants that use complex formulas and extra perks to disguise the amount of cash going to executives.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Word lists with
complex
Psychology terms
In other languages
complex
British English: complex /ˈkɒmplɛks/ ADJECTIVE
Complex things have many different parts and are hard to understand.
...a complex system of voting.
American English: complex
Arabic: مُرَكَّب
Brazilian Portuguese: complexo
Chinese: 复杂的
Croatian: složen
Czech: složitý
Danish: kompleks
Dutch: complex
European Spanish: complejo
Finnish: monimutkainen
French: complexe
German: komplex
Greek: σύνθετος
Italian: complesso
Japanese: 複合の
Korean: 복잡한
Norwegian: sammensatt
Polish: złożony
European Portuguese: complexo
Romanian: complex
Russian: комплексный
Latin American Spanish: complejo
Swedish: komplicerad
Thai: ซับซ้อน
Turkish: karmaşık
Ukrainian: складний
Vietnamese: phức tạp
British English: complex /ˈkɒmplɛks/ NOUN
A complex is a group of buildings used for a particular purpose.
...a new shopping complex.
American English: complex
Arabic: مُرَكَّب
Brazilian Portuguese: complexo
Chinese: 联合体
Croatian: kompleks
Czech: komplex
Danish: kompleks
Dutch: complex
European Spanish: complejo
Finnish: -keskus (can only be used together with a qualifier, e.g. urheilukeskus -sports complex)
French: complexe
German: Komplex
Greek: σύμπλεγμα
Italian: complesso
Japanese: 複合体
Korean: 복합체
Norwegian: kompleks
Polish: kompleks
European Portuguese: complexo
Romanian: complex
Russian: комплекс
Latin American Spanish: complejo
Swedish: komplex
Thai: คอมเพล็กซ์
Turkish: kompleks
Ukrainian: комплекс
Vietnamese: tòa phức hợp
All related terms of 'complex'
B complex
→ vitamin B (complex)
complex case
A case is a crime or mystery that the police are investigating .
complex fraud
Fraud is the crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.
complex idea
An idea is a plan, suggestion , or possible course of action.
complex plot
The plot of a film, novel, or play is the connected series of events which make up the story.
complex salt
a salt that contains one or more complex ions
complex task
A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project .
complex wave
a waveform consisting of a fundamental frequency with superimposed harmonics
guilt complex
If you say that someone has a guilt complex about something, you mean that they feel very guilty about it, in a way that you consider is exaggerated, unreasonable, or unnecessary.
cinema complex
a building containing several cinemas
complex matter
A matter is a task , situation, or event which you have to deal with or think about, especially one that involves problems.
complex nature
The nature of something is its basic quality or character.
complex number
any number of the form a + i b , where a and b are real numbers and i = √–1
complex picture
A picture of something is a description of it or an indication of what it is like.
Electra complex
the sexual attachment of a female child to her father
immune complex
a complex formed between an antibody and an antigen
leisure complex
a building designed to provide facilities for a range of leisure pursuits , such as a sports hall , café, and meeting rooms
Oedipus complex
If a boy or man has an Oedipus complex , he feels sexual desire for his mother and has hostile feelings towards his father .
studio complex
a building containing a room or rooms used to record television or radio programmes , make films, music, etc
apartment complex
An apartment complex is a group of buildings that contain apartments and are managed by the same company.
castration complex
an unconscious fear of having one's genitals removed, as a punishment for wishing to have sex with a parent
complex analysis
the branch of mathematics dealing with analytic functions of a complex variable
complex character
The characters in a film, book, or play are the people that it is about.
complex conjugate
the complex number whose imaginary part is the negative of that of a given complex number, the real parts of both numbers being equal
complex fraction
a fraction in which the numerator or denominator or both contain fractions
complex pendulum
a complex structure mounted so that it can swing freely under the influence of gravity
complex question
A question is a problem, matter, or point which needs to be considered.
complex sentence
a sentence containing at least one main clause and one subordinate clause
complex situation
You use situation to refer generally to what is happening in a particular place at a particular time, or to refer to what is happening to you.
shopping complex
a shopping centre
complex calculation
A calculation is something that you think about and work out mathematically. Calculation is the process of working something out mathematically.
complex carbohydrate
a carbohydrate , as sucrose or starch , that consists of two or more monosaccharide units
complex negotiations
Negotiations are formal discussions between people who have different aims or intentions , especially in business or politics , during which they try to reach an agreement.
complex transaction
A transaction is a piece of business, for example an act of buying or selling something.
coordination complex
one of a number of complex compounds in which an atom or group of atoms is bound to the central atom by a shared pair of electrons supplied by the coordinated group and not by the central atom
inferiority complex
Someone who has an inferiority complex feels that they are of less worth or importance than other people.
persecution complex
an acute irrational fear that other people are plotting one's downfall and that they are responsible for one's failures
superiority complex
an inflated estimate of one's own merit , usually manifested in arrogance
vitamin B complex
a large group of water-soluble vitamins occurring esp in liver and yeast : includes thiamine , riboflavin , nicotinic acid, pyridoxine , pantothenic acid, biotin , choline , folic acid, and cyanocobalamin
AIDS-related complex
a condition that may develop into AIDS , characterized by the enlargement of the lymph nodes
vitamin B (complex)
a group of unrelated water-soluble vitamins found in liver , yeast , etc., including: a ) vitamin B 1 ( see → thiamine ) b ) vitamin B2 (see → riboflavin ) c ) vitamin B6 (see → pyridoxine ) d ) → nicotinic acid e ) → pantothenic acid f ) → biotin g ) → inositol h ) → para-aminobenzoic acid i ) → choline j ) → folic acid k ) vitamin B12 a complex vitamin, C 63 H 90 N 14 O 14 PCo, containing trivalent cobalt , essential for the normal maturation of erythrocytes , and for normal growth and neurological function, and used esp. in treating pernicious anemia and as an animal feed supplement
Golgi body
a membranous complex of vesicles , vacuoles , and flattened sacs in the cytoplasm of most cells: involved in intracellular secretion and transport
military-industrial complex
the combined interests of the military establishment and industries involved in producing military material considered as exerting influence on foreign and economic policy
basement
The basement of a building is a floor built partly or completely below ground level .
major histocompatibility complex
major histocompatibility complex ; a series of genes located on chromosome 6 that code for antigens . They are important in determining histocompatibility
Chinese translation of 'complex'
complex
(ˈkɔmplɛks)
adj
复(複)杂(雜)的 (fùzá de)
n(c)
(= group of buildings) 综(綜)合性建筑(築) (zōnghéxìng jiànzhù) (幢, zhuàng)
(Psych) 情结(結) (qíngjié)
to have a complex about sth对(對)某事有强(強)烈的情绪(緒)反应(應) (duì mǒushì yǒu qiángliè de qíngxù fǎnyìng)
1 (adjective)
Definition
made up of interconnected parts
His complex compositions are built up of many overlapping layers.
Synonyms
compound
a tall shrub with shiny compound leaves
compounded
multiple
He died in hospital of multiple injuries.
composite
The chassis is made of a complex composite structure incorporating carbon fibre.
manifold (formal)
The difficulties are manifold.
heterogeneous
the heterogeneous society of today
multifarious
a composite of multifarious religions and people
2 (adjective)
Definition
intricate or complicated
in-depth coverage of today's complex issues
Synonyms
complicated
a complicated voting system
difficult
It was a very difficult decision to make.
involved
The operation can be quite involved, requiring special procedures.
mixed
elaborate
a designer known for his elaborate costumes
tangled
His personal life has become more tangled than ever.
mingled
intricate
intricate patterns and motifs
tortuous
long and tortuous negotiations
convoluted
knotty
The new management team faces some knotty problems.
labyrinthine
his failure to understand the labyrinthine complexities of the situation
circuitous
Daedalian (literary)
Opposites
clear
,
easy
,
simple
,
obvious
,
straightforward
,
elementary
,
uncomplicated
,
easy-peasy (slang)
1 (noun)
Definition
a whole made up of related parts
Our philosophy is a complex of many tightly interrelated ideas.
Synonyms
structure
The chemical structure of this particular molecule is very unusual.
system
a multi-party system of government
scheme
a private pension scheme
network
He is keen to point out the benefits which the family network can provide.
organization
the internal organization of the department
aggregate
composite
Spain is a composite of diverse traditions and people.
synthesis
2 (noun)
Definition
an obsession or phobia
(informal)
I have never had a complex about my height.
Synonyms
obsession
yet another man with an obsession about football
preoccupation
Success in her field has always been her preoccupation.
phobia
She has a phobia of spiders.
fixation
Somebody has a fixation with you.
fixed idea
idée fixe (French)
It is an idée fixe of mine that humanity should be doing more to save the plant.
Usage note
Although complex and complicated are close in meaning, care should be taken when using one as a synonym of the other. Complex should be used to say that something consists of several parts rather than that it is difficult to understand, analyse, or deal with, which is what complicated inherently means. In the following real example a clear distinction is made between the two words: the British benefits system is phenomenally complex and is administered by a complicated range of agencies.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of composite
Definition
made up of separate parts
The chassis is made of a complex composite structure incorporating carbon fibre.
Synonyms
compound,
mixed,
combined,
complex,
blended,
conglomerate,
synthesized
in the sense of composite
Definition
something composed of separate parts
Spain is a composite of diverse traditions and people.