complication

C1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˌkɑm.pləˈkeɪ.ʃən/ UK /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #17494

Meanings

1

noun
A problem or difficulty that makes a situation harder to deal with.

Their late arrival created a serious complication for the whole schedule.
2

noun
A new medical problem that develops because of an existing illness or injury.

Bed sores are a common complication for patients who cannot move easily.
3

noun
Confusing complexity; the state of being complicated.

The instructions were full of needless complication that nobody could follow.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a problem or difficulty... ramification

3 noun · confusing complexity; the... knottiness

More entanglement intricacy snarl

Word family

Forms complications

Derived forms decomplicationovercomplicationuncomplication

Related forms complex complexity complicate thing

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

serious complication
a significant difficulty that makes an existing situation harder to resolve

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French complication, from Latin complicatio, complicationem. Morphologically complicate + -ion.

complication Middle French complicatio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# complication

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌkɑm.pləˈkeɪ.ʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 17494

## Meanings
1. A problem or difficulty that makes a situation harder to deal with.
2. A new medical problem that develops because of an existing illness or injury.
3. Confusing complexity; the state of being complicated.

## Examples
- Their late arrival created a serious complication for the whole schedule.
- Bed sores are a common complication for patients who cannot move easily.
- The instructions were full of needless complication that nobody could follow.

## Synonyms
- entanglement
- intricacy
- snarl

## Derived Forms
- decomplication
- overcomplication
- uncomplication

## Related Forms
- complex
- complexity
- complicate
- thing

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: complication
- Root: complicatio

## Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French complication, from Latin complicatio, complicationem. Morphologically complicate + -ion.

## AI Etymology
Complication is borrowed from Middle French complication, from Latin complicatio, complicationem. Morphologically complicate + -ion. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include complication (Middle French) and complicatio (Latin). Current senses include a problem or difficulty that makes a situation harder to deal with, a new medical problem that develops because of an existing illness or injury, and confusing complexity; the state of being complicated. The wider family includes derived forms such as decomplication, overcomplication, and uncomplication and related words such as complex, complexity, complicate, and thing.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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