complex

1. 1.

   a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts

   “the complex of shopping malls, houses, and roads created a new town”

   Synonymscomposite

   Broaderwhole

   Narrowerhybridsyndrome
2. 2.

   a compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated

   Synonymscoordination compound

   Broadercompound

   Narrowerhydrochloride
3. 3.

   (psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior

   Broaderfeeling

   NarrowerOedipus complexElectra complexinferiority complex

   psychoanalysis

4. 4.

   a whole structure (as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures

   Synonymsbuilding complex

   Broaderstructure

   Narrowercollegeplantribbon development

1. 1.

   complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts

   “a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody”

   “a complex mass of diverse laws and customs”

   Antonymssimple

   SimilaranalyzableByzantinecolonialcomplicatedcompositecompounddaedalGordian
2. 2.

   difficult to analyze or understand

   “a complicated problem”

   “complicated Middle East politics”

   “he's more complex than he seems on the surface”

   Synonymscomplicated

Other forms of complex

plural

complexes·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about complex

What does complex mean?

complex means "a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts". That is the primary sense; the word has 6 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in complex?

complex has 2 syllables: com-plex. The stress falls on "com". In IPA it is /ˈkɑmplɛks/.

What is another word for complex?

Close synonyms include composite, coordination compound, building complex, complicated. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

What is the opposite of complex?

The recorded antonyms are simple.

Is complex a common word?

complex is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.