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complication

 - 5 dictionary results

com⋅pli⋅ca⋅tion

  [kom-pli-key-shuhn]
Use complication in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of complicating.
2. a complicated or involved state or condition.
3. a complex combination of elements or things.
4. something that introduces, usually unexpectedly, some difficulty, problem, change, etc.: Because of the complications involved in traveling during the strike, we decided to postpone our trip.
5. Pathology. a concurrent disease, accident, or adverse reaction that aggravates the original disease.
6. the act of forming a unified idea or impression from a number of sense data, memories, etc.
Origin:
1605–15; < LL complicātīon- (s. of complicātiō), equiv. to complicāt(us) (see complicate ) + -īon- -ion

Related forms:
com⋅pli⋅ca⋅tive, adjective

Synonyms:
4. drawback, handicap, obstacle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To complication
com·pli·ca·tion   (kŏm'plĭ-kā'shən)   
n.  

  1. The act of complicating.

  2. A confused or intricate relationship of parts.

  3. A factor, condition, or element that complicates.

  4. Medicine A secondary disease, an accident, or a negative reaction occurring during the course of an illness and usually aggravating the illness.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

complication 
1611, from M.Fr. complication, from L. complicationem, from complicare "to fold together," from com- "together" + plicare "to fold, weave" see ply (v.)). Meaning "something that complicates" first recorded 1903. Complicated "difficult to unravel" is from 1656.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: com·pli·ca·tion
Pronunciation: "käm-pl&-'kA-sh&n
Function: noun
: a secondary disease or condition thatdevelops in the course of a primary disease or condition and arises either as a result of it or from independent causes
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

complication com·pli·ca·tion (kŏm'plĭ-kā'shən)
n.
A pathological process or event occurring during a disease that is not an essential part of the disease; it may result from the disease or from independent causes.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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