complex

/ˈkɒmpleks/KOM-pleks

/ˈkɑmplɛks/KAHM-pleks

Meaningfolded together

Common meaning: made of many parts

comwith, together
plexto foldLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1387 · scan

‘with, together’ + ‘to fold’ → complex

Journey through time

Latinplicō, plicāvī‘to fold’
Englishcomplex‘made of many parts’ · today

com- also in: compel combust comfort command commend

plex also in: apply reply employ explicit multiple

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin plicō ‘to fold’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry plicō, p. 1387 · dictionary scan

Roots

plicō, plicāvī Latin “to fold”

Related words

apply deploy duplicate employ explicit multiple multiply quadruple reply

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app