complication
UK[ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃn]US[ˌkɑːmplɪˈkeɪʃn]
n
something that makes a situation more difficult or complex
n
a medical problem or condition that develops as a result of another disease or treatment
Morpheme Breakdown
com
plic
ation
com
together
plic
fold
ation
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'complication' originates from the Latin verb complicare, meaning "to fold together" or "to intertwine". This verb itself is a combination of the prefix com- (together) and plicare (to fold). The literal image of folding multiple strands together naturally evolved into the metaphorical sense of intertwining elements to create something intricate or involved. Over time, this core idea of things being folded together gave rise to the modern abstract meanings of a factor that introduces difficulty or a secondary medical condition that arises from a primary one, both capturing the sense of a situation becoming more entangled and less straightforward.
Analysis
Structure: com (together) + plic (fold) + ation (noun suffix)
com: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "together" or "with".
plic: Latin origin (from plicare, to fold), a root meaning "to fold" or "to weave".
ation: Latin-derived suffix forming nouns of action or state.
Examples
The bad weather was an unexpected complication for the outdoor event.
The surgery was successful, but the patient later developed a complication from the anesthesia.
Adding a last-minute rule change would only introduce unnecessary complication into the process.