adj / n · academic
complex
UK/ˈkɒmpleks/US/ˈkɑːmpleks/COM·plex
consisting of many different and connected parts; not simple
Examples
“Climate systems are highly complex and require interdisciplinary study.”
“The university built a new sports complex next to the library.”
“Policy problems are often complex because many stakeholders are involved.”
Band 8 sentence
“Addressing climate change demands integrated strategies because the underlying systems are complex and interdependent.”
Collocations
- complex issue
- highly complex
- complex relationship
Word family
Common mistakes
a complex of problems→a complex problem / a set of problems
comple x→complex
Say it for a higher band
5difficult→6complicated→7+complex
Synonyms
complicated
intricate
Easily confused
complicated
“The instructions are complicated, but with practice you can follow them.”
intricate
“The watch mechanism is incredibly intricate and requires skilled repair.”
Related words
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