Complication

A complication is an intertwined or complex situation, condition, or circumstance that makes something difficult to understand, handle, or resolve. It often involves a secondary or unforeseen issue that arises during the course of an event or process. Complications can range from minor inconveniences to serious problems that hinder progress, compromise results, or create significant challenges. The term highlights the addition of further elements of difficulty or confusion to a pre-existing situation, making it less straightforward or simple. This often requires careful assessment, adaptation, and potentially creative problem-solving to address and mitigate the adverse effects of the complication. In medical contexts, a complication refers to an undesirable medical condition or side effect occurring as a result of a pre-existing disease or treatment.

Complication meaning with examples

• The initial project seemed straightforward, but unexpected financial *complications* arose when the supplier increased their prices. This added a new layer of difficulty to the project management and forced the team to reassess the budget and timeline, leading to difficult decisions and a potential delay. It significantly changed the simple project trajectory, forcing an overhaul of project costs and plans to avoid exceeding allocated budgets.
• During surgery, the patient developed a serious complication involving unexpected bleeding. The medical team had to quickly respond, adapting their surgical techniques and monitoring the patient's vital signs to manage the situation. This immediate danger changed the focus from the initial goal of surgery to saving the patient's life.
• The romantic relationship was seemingly smooth, but *complications* surfaced due to conflicting long-term life goals. One person wanted to travel the world, while the other desired a stable home life. This divergence in aspirations led to conflict and strained their connection, impacting their plans to build a life together.
• The seemingly simple software installation had a complication when it proved incompatible with a crucial system driver, stalling the whole deployment process. It became necessary to troubleshoot the drivers and re-install the application, causing frustration and extending the expected deployment time of the software.