complex

/ˈkäm-ˌpleks/

borrowed from Latin complexus "embrace, grasp, inclusion" (Late Latin also, "whole, entirety") from complector, complectī "to embrace, grasp, encompass, include" + -tus, suffix of action nouns; (sense 2b (1)) after German Komplex

noun

  1. a whole made up of complicated or interrelated parts

  2. a group of culture traits relating to a single activity (such as hunting), process (such as use of flint), or culture unit

  3. a group of repressed desires and memories that exerts a dominating influence upon the personality

a complex of welfare programs

adjective

  1. composed of two or more parts : composite

  2. having a bound form as one or more of its immediate constituents

  3. consisting of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses

a complex mixture of chemicals

complex complicated intricate involved knotty mean having confusingly interrelated parts. complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure. complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

verb

  1. to make complex or into a complex

  2. chelate