Standard Lemma guide

intricacy

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɪn.tɹɪ.kə.si/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Ireland: /ɪnˈtɹɪ.kə.si/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 N T R AH0 K AH0 S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state or quality of being intricate or entangled.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • the intricacy of a knot
  • the intricacy of accounts
  • the intricacy of a cause in controversy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Perplexity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: involution, complication, complexity

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something which is intricate or complex.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • There are many intricacies in the plot of this novel.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

marked by elaborately complex detail

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: elaborateness, elaboration, involution

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: complexity, complexness

History

Etymology

From intric(ate) + -acy.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: сложност (složnost) — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Bulgarian: заплетеност (zapletenost) — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Dutch: verwikkeling — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Finnish: monimutkaisuus — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Finnish: konstikkuus — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Finnish: mutkikkuus — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • German: Gewundenheit — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • German: Komplexität — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • German: Schwierigkeit — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • German: Verworrenheit — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • German: Verzwicktheit — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Irish: castacht — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Norwegian: vanske — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Norwegian: vanskelighet — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Polish: złożoność — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Polish: skomplikowanie — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Polish: zawiłość — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Russian: запу́танность (zapútannostʹ) — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar-fhigheachd — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Swedish: besvärlighet — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Swedish: svårighet — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Turkish: anlaşmazlık — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Turkish: giriftlik — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Turkish: karmaşıklık — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Turkish: karışıklık — The state or quality of being intricate or entangled
  • Bulgarian: обърканост (obǎrkanost) — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Finnish: monimutkaisuus — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Irish: castacht — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Marathi: गुंतागुंत (guntāgunta) — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Polish: złożoność — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Polish: misterność — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Russian: сло́жность (slóžnostʹ) — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Swedish: komplexitet — Perplexity; involution; complication; complexity
  • Finnish: koukero — that which is intricate or involved
  • Japanese: もつれ (motsure) — that which is intricate or involved
  • Polish: zawiłość — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: vericuetos — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: entresijos — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: laberinto — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: dificultades — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: complicaciones — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: obstáculos — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: incógnitas — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: busilis — that which is intricate or involved
  • Spanish: intríngulis — that which is intricate or involved