convoluted
adjective
con·vo·lut·ed
ˈkän-və-ˌlü-təd 
1
: having convolutions
a ram with convoluted horns
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The Origin of Convoluted Isn't
Convoluted comes from Latin convolvere, meaning "to roll up, coil, or twist." It is related to the verb convolute, meaning "to twist or coil." Once something is twisted it can be literally and figuratively difficult to unravel, and can be convoluted.
Synonyms
Examples of convoluted in a Sentence
At base stands a profound respect for the integrity of history and the complex and convoluted relationship between present and the past.
—
Ira Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
They are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone …
—Margaret Atwood, Harper's, August 1990
… she has been fashioning sequences of plans too convoluted to materialize …
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
To therapists, stepfamilies may present convoluted psychological dilemmas …
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Family Politics, 1983
a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before
Ira Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
They are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone …
—Margaret Atwood, Harper's, August 1990
… she has been fashioning sequences of plans too convoluted to materialize …
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
To therapists, stepfamilies may present convoluted psychological dilemmas …
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Family Politics, 1983
a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before
Recent Examples on the Web
Export is a simple Ctrl-E, compared with Photoshop's convoluted Shift-Ctrl-Alt-W.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
The reasons are complex: socioeconomic disparities; a lack of emphasis on prevention; and an expensive, convoluted system that lets millions of people slip through the cracks.
—Caitlin Owens, Axios, 3 Nov. 2024
The fact that these goddesses can retain their identity in such convoluted circumstances is no less miraculous than their enduring celebrity status.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Perception has a convoluted corporate structure that spans three countries and two continents.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for convoluted 
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PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
The reasons are complex: socioeconomic disparities; a lack of emphasis on prevention; and an expensive, convoluted system that lets millions of people slip through the cracks.
—Caitlin Owens, Axios, 3 Nov. 2024
The fact that these goddesses can retain their identity in such convoluted circumstances is no less miraculous than their enduring celebrity status.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Perception has a convoluted corporate structure that spans three countries and two continents.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for convoluted
Dictionary Entries Near convoluted
Cite this Entry
“Convoluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convoluted. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
convoluted
adjective
con·vo·lut·ed
ˈkän-və-ˌlüt-əd
1
: folded or curved in twisted windings
especially
: having convolutions
2
: complicated in form : intricate
convoluted phrasing
Medical Definition
convoluted
adjective
con·vo·lut·ed
-ˌlü-təd
: folded in curved or tortuous windings
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