intricacy
noun
in·tri·ca·cy
ˈin-tri-kə-sē 
plural intricacies
1
: the quality or state of being intricate
2
: something intricate
the intricacies of a plot
Synonyms
Examples of intricacy in a Sentence
She admired the composition for its beauty and intricacy.
I had trouble following all the intricacies in the plot.
the intricacies of English grammar
Recent Examples on the Web
The mathematical intricacies behind AZDecrypt are intense—but just for reference, the codebreakers say their program can solve up to 200 homophonic substitution ciphers per second with a 99 percent accuracy rate.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024
Experts unpack the intricacies of preparing a civilian to conduct an alternative form of an interrogation.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
But with factors like remote work, job hopping and reliance on more business applications than ever before, the intricacies of managing identities have become more complex.
—John Milburn, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Absorbing the quiet, lead-by-example work ethic of Jackson Rowe, the play-everywhere versatility of Davon Clare, the efficient and intelligent Austen Awosika, who showed San Antonio the intricacies of playing point guard in college.
—Brian Robin, Orange County Register, 23 Mar. 2024
With a focus on cases involving 18-wheelers, delivery trucks (such as those operated by Amazon and FedEx), rideshare vehicles (such as Uber and Lyft), and wrongful death claims, the firm is equipped with the expertise necessary to navigate the intricacies of these incidents.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
But Mann’s familiarity with some of the intricacies on both sides of the ball gives him the slight upper hand in being LaMelo’s understudy.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024
The legal, structural, and psychological intricacies of Triet and Harari’s marital whodunnit speak impressively enough for themselves; the fact that their movie is in no small part about the petty jealousies and treacherous minds of writers surely won’t hurt.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024
Due to the intricacies of intellectual property rights, the X-Men have been a conspicuous absence from the MCU since its inception in 2008.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024
Experts unpack the intricacies of preparing a civilian to conduct an alternative form of an interrogation.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
But with factors like remote work, job hopping and reliance on more business applications than ever before, the intricacies of managing identities have become more complex.
—John Milburn, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Absorbing the quiet, lead-by-example work ethic of Jackson Rowe, the play-everywhere versatility of Davon Clare, the efficient and intelligent Austen Awosika, who showed San Antonio the intricacies of playing point guard in college.
—Brian Robin, Orange County Register, 23 Mar. 2024
With a focus on cases involving 18-wheelers, delivery trucks (such as those operated by Amazon and FedEx), rideshare vehicles (such as Uber and Lyft), and wrongful death claims, the firm is equipped with the expertise necessary to navigate the intricacies of these incidents.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
But Mann’s familiarity with some of the intricacies on both sides of the ball gives him the slight upper hand in being LaMelo’s understudy.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024
The legal, structural, and psychological intricacies of Triet and Harari’s marital whodunnit speak impressively enough for themselves; the fact that their movie is in no small part about the petty jealousies and treacherous minds of writers surely won’t hurt.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024
Due to the intricacies of intellectual property rights, the X-Men have been a conspicuous absence from the MCU since its inception in 2008.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intricacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near intricacy
Cite this Entry
“Intricacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intricacy. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
intricacy
noun
in·tri·ca·cy
ˈin-tri-kə-sē
plural intricacies
1
: the quality or state of being intricate
2
: something intricate
the intricacies of the plot
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