From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcomplexcom‧plex1 /ˈkɒmpleks $ ˌkɑːmˈpleks◂/ ●●○ W2 AWL adjective 1 COMPLICATEDconsisting of many different parts and often difficult to understand SYN complicated OPP simple a complex system of highways Photosynthesis is a highly complex process. Peter seemed to have an instant understanding of the most complex issues. It was a very complex relationship between two complex people.► see thesaurus at complicated2 SLG technical a complex word or sentence contains a main part and one or more other parts → compound
Examples from the Corpus
complex• The chemical processes involved in the experiment are extremely complex.• Alcohol is actually much more complex.• Yet not only was the urban population rapidly increasing, it was becoming ever more complex and articulate.• The issues here are complex and evolving.• During the past decade fundraisers' search for new donors has been increasingly complex and expensive.• And as I mentioned earlier, the social laws are more complex and less certain than the natural ones.• It is for building more and more complex bodies.• So the simplest explanation is the one that can include the whole range of complex elements within one integral and harmonious scheme.• Few people understand the complex issues of environmental science.• a complex mathematical formula• There is a complex network of roads connecting the two cities.• a complex personality• The seminar focuses on the complex relationship between government, the military, and the media.• Of course this is not necessarily the case in a more complex setting such as memory for driving situations.highly complex• Technology transfer is highly complex and often misunderstood.• Some of the problems are highly complex and unique in that lives are at stake depending on their successful resolution.• The Aborigines have a highly complex civilization, one that has existed for 60,000 years.• All the evidence points to dreaming being a highly complex cognitive activity.• The establishment of a new political system based on law was a highly complex matter and needed careful consideration, he said.• However, most of these methods paid insufficient attention to the highly complex nature of landscape values, while overemphasizing scenic attractiveness.• Social psychology is clearly another large and highly complex topic.• But the components for Worldwide Plaza were already highly complex when they arrived on site.complexcom‧plex2 /ˈkɒmpleks $ ˈkɑːm-/ ●●○ AWL noun [countable] 1 TBBa group of buildings, or a large building with many parts, used for a particular purpose The town has one of the best leisure complexes in the country. a three-story apartment complex2 → a complex of something3 MPWORRIEDan emotional problem in which someone is unnecessarily anxious about something or thinks too much about something I used to have a complex about my looks. → inferiority complex, Oedipus complex, persecution complexCOLLOCATIONStypes of complex a leisure complex (=where you can play sports or relax)The new leisure complex includes a swimming pool, a sauna and a gym.a shopping complexSome old buildings were pulled down to make space for a new shopping complex.a sports complexThe sports complex also has six tennis courts.an entertainment complex (=with cinemas, restaurants and other places to go)There are plans for an entertainment complex with cinemas and a bowling alley.a holiday complex (=one where people go for holidays)The lively holiday complex has plenty of nightclubs, bars, and restaurants.a housing/residential complex (=for people to live in)Architects designed the residential complexes near the beach.a retail/commercial complex (=for shops, businesses, or industries)a ten-screen movie theater and retail complexan office/museum/hospital etc complexa 120-acre office complex near Las Vegasan apartment complex American Englisha luxury apartment complex on Fulton Street Examples from the Corpus
complex• I don't think you fully understood the complexity of his argument.• Schneider manages an apartment complex in suburban Denver.• Driving through the mine is like visiting some futuristic industrial complex on another planet.• The military-industrial complex has been analysed from both of these perspectives.• Middlesbrough Council says the £1.2m Anchor International complex will provide 30 jobs and a valuable community facility.• Papp turned the old library into a huge six-screen movie complex.• Selection can be simple, based on the value of one key, or complex, based on a number of keys.• DNA-protein complexes were analysed on 5% polyacrylamide gels.• I call it the Stalingrad complex.• First, I would change the date to June 30 as a reminder of Tunguska and the Taurid complex.• The underground complex had been built in summer, the construction teams working in three shifts round the dock.leisure complexes• Nowadays, prisons are like leisure complexes, with snooker tables and televisions.• For clubs in decent pitches though, offices or leisure complexes on part of their land can also provide cash.Origin complex1 (1600-1700) Latin complexus, past participle of complecti “to include (many different things)”, from com- ( → COM-) + plectere ( → PLEXUS) 