complexity

The word “complexity” means the state of having many interconnected parts, making something hard to understand or manage. In plain terms, how complicated or intricate something is.

“Complexity” is pronounced kuhm-PLEHK-sih-tee (/kəmˈplɛk.sɪ.ti/ in IPA).

Here is “complexity” used in a sentence: “The complexity of the tax code frustrates even experienced accountants.”

Words with a similar meaning to “complexity” include complicacy, complexness, complicate, complicatedness, complication and complicity.

The opposite of “complexity” — its antonyms — are simplicity, incomplexity and uncomplexity.

“Complexity” is a noun.

“Complexity” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Complexity is the state of having many interconnected parts, which makes something hard to understand or manage. A complication is a specific added difficulty that makes a situation worse, as in a medical complication. Complexity describes a system's overall character; a complication is one unwelcome extra.

They look similar but are unrelated. Complexity means having many interconnected parts; complicity means involvement in wrongdoing, as in "complicity in the fraud." Swapping one for the other is a common and meaning-changing mistake.

Difficulty measures how hard something is to do; complexity describes one reason it may be hard — having many interconnected parts to understand or manage. A task can be difficult without being complex, like lifting a boulder, and complex without feeling difficult to an expert.

Intricacy emphasizes fine, detailed interweaving, such as the intricacy of lacework. Complexity emphasizes the number of interconnected parts and the resulting challenge of understanding or managing the whole, so it is the usual choice for systems, problems, and organizations.