Complicate Meaning
/ˈkɑmplɪkeɪt/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo make complex; to modify so as to make something intricate or difficult.
verbTo involve in a convoluted matter.
Sentence Examples
That'll complicate matters more.
Don't complicate the problem by raising new issues.
Vocabulary Challenge
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Do not ____ the instructions by adding unnecessary steps.
Word Origin & History
First attested in the early 17ᵗʰ century; borrowed from Latin complicātus, perfect passive participle of complicō (“to fold together”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“together”) + plicō (“to fold, weave, knit”); see plaid, and compare complex. See also Middle English complicate (“involved”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Let us, however, put aside for the moment the mendacities and forgeries which complicate the question of Lucifer, and let us approach Palladism from an altogether different side."
— 1896, Arthur Edward Waite, “Chapter 14”, in Devil-Worship in France, or the Question of Lucifer:
"Masked or larvate malaria, like pernicious malaria, needs complete overhauling. Nearly every disease in the category has been confounded with malaria and classed as larvate. This heterogeneous group has been expanded to embrace diseases unrelated to malaria, diseases complicating malaria, and symptoms and sequelæ of malaria."
— 1909, William Heiskell Deaderick, A Practical Study of Malaria, page 232:
"How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, / How complicate, how wonderful, is Man!"
— 1745, Edward Young, Night-Thoughts, section I:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Do not ____ the instructions by adding unnecessary steps.