intricately

Intricately is an adverb meaning in a manner that is very detailed or complex. It describes actions or designs characterized by elaborate attention to detail, often involving interwoven parts or patterns. The word derives from the adjective intricate, which in turn originates from Latin intricatus, from intricare, to entangle.

Usage and nuance: Intricately is commonly used in descriptive or formal writing to convey complexity in crafts, architecture, landscapes, plots, or mechanisms. For example: “The lace was intricately woven” or “The plot unfolds intricately, with interwoven backstories.” While close in meaning to elaborate or complex, intricately emphasizes the manner in which something is done or arranged rather than simply its overall complexity. It is more typical in literary or technical contexts than in casual speech. Related terms include intricacy (the quality of being intricate) and the adjective intricate (the form used to describe something with many interrelated parts).