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Thorough vs Complex - What's the difference?

thorough | complex |

As adjectives the difference between thorough and complex

is that thorough is painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail while complex is made up of multiple parts; composite; not simple.

As nouns the difference between thorough and complex

is that thorough is (uk|dialect) a furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water while complex is a problem.

As a preposition thorough

is (obsolete) through.

As a verb complex is

(chemistry|intransitive) to form a complex with another substance.

thorough

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Alternative forms

* thoro

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail
    • The Prime Minister announced a thorough investigation into the death of a father of two in police custody.
    He is the most thorough worker I have ever seen.
    The infested house needs a thorough cleansing before it will be inhabitable.
  • utter; complete; absolute
    • It is a thorough pleasure to see him beg for mercy.
    Derived terms
    * thoroughbred * thoroughgoing * thoroughly

    Etymology 2

    A disyllabic form of (etyl) .

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (obsolete) Through.
  • * , II.xii:
    • Ye might haue seene the frothy billowes fry / Vnder the ship, as thorough them she went [...].
  • * 1599 , , V. i. 109:
    • You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.
    • (Halliwell)

    complex

    English

    (wikipedia complex)

    Adjective

    (complex number) (en adjective)
  • Made up of multiple parts; composite; not simple.
    • a complex''' being; a '''complex idea
  • * John Locke
    • Ideas thus made up of several simple ones put together, I call complex ; such as beauty, gratitude, a man, an army, the universe.
  • Not simple, easy, or straightforward; complicated.
  • * Whewell
    • When the actual motions of the heavens are calculated in the best possible way, the process is difficult and complex .
  • (mathematics) Of a number, of the form a + bi'', where ''a'' and ''b'' are real numbers and ''i is a square root of −1.
    • complex function
  • (geometry) A curve, polygon or other figure that crosses or intersects itself.

    • Synonyms

    * (not simple) complicated, detailed, difficult, hard, intricate, involved, tough

    Antonyms

    * (not simple) basic, easy, simple, straightforward

    Derived terms

    * complexity * complexness

    Related terms

    * complexion * (mathematics) symplectic

    Noun

  • A problem.
  • A collection of buildings with a common purpose, such as a university or military base.
  • Assemblage of related things; collection.
  • * South
    • This parable of the wedding supper comprehends in it the whole complex of all the blessings and privileges exhibited by the gospel.
  • A psychological dislike or fear of a particular thing.
  • An organized cluster of thunderstorms.
  • (chemistry) A structure consisting of a central atom or molecule weakly connected to surrounding atoms or molecules.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author= Katie L. Burke
    • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= In the News , passage=Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis:

    Derived terms

    * military-entertainment complex * military-industrial complex * Oedipus complex * prison-industrial complex * vitamin B complex * protein complex * chelate complex

    Verb

    (es)
  • (chemistry) To form a complex with another substance

    • External links

    * * English heteronyms ----