complexo

Complexo is a word used in Portuguese as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, complexo describes something made up of many interconnected parts or something that is difficult to understand or analyze: for example, uma questão complexa (a complex issue) or um sistema complexo (a complex system). As a noun, it can refer to a group of buildings or facilities that form a single site, such as um complexo industrial (an industrial complex) or um complexo esportivo (a sports complex). It can also denote a set of psychological traits or tendencies, as in um complexo (a complex) or in phrases like complexo de inferioridade (inferiority complex).

Etymology and cognates: The term derives from Latin complexus, meaning “embrace, entwined,” and entered Portuguese via Romance languages, with cognates in Spanish (complejo) and Italian (complesso). The word is closely related to the English “complex” and to similar forms in other Romance languages.

Usage notes: In mathematics, numero complexo is the standard term for the complex numbers system. In geography and urban planning, complexo is common in describing grouped facilities or districts and appears in place names such as Complexo da Maré or Complexo do Alemão in Brazil. In psychology, complexo is used in expressions like complexo de Édipo (Oedipus complex) and complexo de inferioridade (inferiority complex). The word accommodates gender and number: complexo (m. sing.), complexa (f. sing.), complexos (m. pl.), complexas (f. pl.).