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.
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
If this convoluted Golden State campaign is to straighten out, some pre-All-Star momentum would really stretch a long way.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
Like any convoluted romantic comedy, The Wedding Banquet’s foursome’s big silly scheme doesn’t exactly go according to plan.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
States are handing multimillion-dollar contracts to a handful of fledgling private companies to manage the rapidly growing, convoluted marketplace of school-choice programs.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 30 Jan. 2025
In all the convoluted back-and-forth, most patients and health plans aren’t charged anything close to list price.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convoluted
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Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
Like any convoluted romantic comedy, The Wedding Banquet’s foursome’s big silly scheme doesn’t exactly go according to plan.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
States are handing multimillion-dollar contracts to a handful of fledgling private companies to manage the rapidly growing, convoluted marketplace of school-choice programs.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 30 Jan. 2025
In all the convoluted back-and-forth, most patients and health plans aren’t charged anything close to list price.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convoluted
Cite this Entry
“Convoluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convoluted. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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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