complexity

[ kuh m-plek-si-tee ]

/ kəmˈplɛk sɪ ti /

the state or quality of being complex; intricacy: the complexity of urban life.

something complex: the complexities of foreign policy.

Origin of complexity

First recorded in 1715–25; complex + -ity

in·ter·com·plex·i·ty, noun, plural in·ter·com·plex·i·ties. o·ver·com·plex·i·ty, noun su·per·com·plex·i·ty, noun, plural su·per·com·plex·i·ties.

His most elaborate camera maneuvers seemed almost diabolical in their complexity.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days |David Freeman |December 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Sex, with its myths, confronts us with the complexity of our behaviors and our beliefs.

Living Black & Gay in the ’50s |Alain Mabanckou |December 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Yeah, one thing that John Shea said struck me: "Narratives close off the complexity of reality."

The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark |Alex Belth |November 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Complexity appeals to the sophisticated grown-ups mentioned above.

Five Lessons the Faltering Music Industry Could Learn From TV |Ted Gioia |August 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The Fault in Our Stars may not have the complexity of a mature literary classic.

Young Adult Novel Adaptations Put Mainstream Blockbusters to Shame |Amy Zimmerman |June 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Yet this complexity and extension represent nothing positive; they express a deficiency of will.

Creative Evolution |Henri Bergson
The boundaries of forms with any complexity, such as the human figure, are not continuous lines.

The Practice and Science Of Drawing |Harold Speed
The complexity of the world charms us, its 'downs' as well as its 'ups,' its abysses and glooms no less than its sunny levels.

The Meaning of Good--A Dialogue |G. Lowes Dickinson
The development commences with a state of simplicity, and advances gradually to one of complexity.

Studies in the Theory of Descent (Volumes 1 and 2) |August Weismann
The additional complication introduced by the cut-off relay is more than offset by the saving in complexity of the jacks.

Cyclopedia of Telephony and Telegraphy, Vol. 2 |Kempster Miller

complexity

/ (kəmˈplɛksɪtɪ) /

the state or quality of being intricate or complex

something intricate or complex; complication