Arcane and Complex

Arcane

Arcane adjective - Difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand.
Usage example: grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place

Complex and arcane are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Complex" instead an adjective "Arcane".

Complex

Complex adjective - Having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated.

Arcane and complex are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Arcane" instead an adjective "Complex".

Both words in one sentence

  • In David Brin's Uplift series practically all alien races consider any human mathematics more complex than arithmetic to be "arcane wolfling superstitions", even the Tymbrimi-created AI on the Streaker says so.
  • Fanfic / Diamond and Silver's Excellent Adventure But she's "a loon with a god complex"—once she gains the arcane power to enforce her mad whims, she brings entire universes to ruin.
  • Calvinball The sport of Cricket is often seen as this by those who don't have a history of playing it, due to its complex ruleset and arcane terminology.
    Source: Calvinball
Cite this Source
Complex and Arcane. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/arcane/complex
Arcane & Complex. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/arcane/complex>.
Complex or Arcane. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/arcane/complex.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "arcane" and "complex" have occurred on timeline