labyrinthine

USAGE SUMMARY

"labyrinthine" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is intricate, complex, or maze-like. An example: "The labyrinthine corridors of the ancient castle were difficult to navigate." Alternative expressions include "complex," "intricate," and "convoluted."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

RB The devilishly labyrinthine process to select our book of the year continues, with the judges so far deadlocked.

The Guardian - Sport

Setting out his plans for reform to the Co-op's current governance structure of "labyrinthine complexity", Myners also called for an investigation by the City regulator into a report the Co-op commissioned from investigators Kroll into leaks from the boardroom.

The Guardian - Business

Baroque imagery, bizarre humour and labyrinthine plots made his elusive and allusive oeuvre unlike anything else in contemporary cinema.

The Guardian - Film

Elsewhere, the wilderness still rules, and a cursory glance at a map reveals that Argentinian Patagonia is mainly empty spaces and ranching country, while Chilean Patagonia is a collage of islands, inlets and labyrinthine channels.

The Guardian - Travel

The labyrinthine heart remains intact, a maze of tiny streets, souks, monuments and traditional dye pits.

The Guardian - Travel

Exploring the labyrinthine world of campaign finance and tax law, a Yahoo news investigation has found the gun rights organization may have broken the law while fundraising and reporting its spending.

The Guardian

There is Liatorp, a particularly labyrinthine wall unit.

The Guardian - Opinion

She talks about how voting is a much simpler process in the European parliament, because it's done electronically; here, it is often impossible to work out what an amendment means because of labyrinthine cross-referencing.

The Guardian

Sorting out the billing for a play is an archaic and labyrinthine business, the rules of which are understood only by a very few: but basically, the more famous you are, the more you can hog the advertising and the light bulbs.

The Guardian

Hence the hope placed in XML.XML is not an improved version of HTML, but a simplified dialect of the mother of all document-defining languages, the definitive but labyrinthine Standard Generalised Markup Language (SGML).

The Economist

Less than two months after the police dropped investigations into whether parties had offered peerages in exchange for loans, another money scandal is gripping Westminster.The latest is a labyrinthine affair, and potentially devastating for Mr Brown.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve this word for truly intricate subjects such as international tax law, ancient city streets or highly detailed literary plots to maintain its descriptive power.

Common error

Do not confuse "labyrinthine" with "torturous". While "labyrinthine" describes a maze-like structure, "torturous" relates to physical or psychological pain. If you mean something has many twists, use "tortuous" instead.

Linguistic Context

As an adjective, ""labyrinthine"" functions to modify nouns by attributing qualities of a maze. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it consistently appears before nouns like "tax system", "streets" or "procedures". Ludwig AI confirms its status as a correct and usable descriptor in contemporary English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Social Media

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective ""labyrinthine"" is a powerful tool for describing extreme complexity. With 60 distinct examples in the Ludwig database, primarily from The Economist and The Guardian, it is clear that the term is a favorite in professional journalism. It effectively bridges the gap between literal descriptions of maze-like physical spaces and figurative descriptions of complex bureaucracy, tax codes and technical systems. Ludwig AI identifies it as a fully correct and highly effective word for writers who need to convey a sense of being overwhelmed by intricate details. When using it, remember that it carries a stronger imagery of "getting lost" than simple synonyms like "complex" or "intricate".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

convoluted

Emphasizes something being unnecessarily complex or difficult to follow

tortuous

Focuses on the many twists and turns, often implying a tedious process

maze-like

Provides a more literal and slightly less formal comparison to a maze

byzantine

Specifically denotes administrative or political complexity that is devious or rigid

intricate

Suggests a complexity that is detailed and potentially well-crafted

knotty

Implies a problem that is difficult to untangle or solve

daedalian

A highly literary alternative suggesting complexity through ingenious design

complex

A much more generic and common term for things with many parts

meandering

Focuses on a wandering path rather than a structured but confusing one

bewildering

Emphasizes the psychological effect of confusion on the person experiencing it

FAQs

How to use "labyrinthine" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe physical spaces or abstract concepts. For example: "The hikers struggled to navigate the "labyrinthine" cave system," or "He spent years studying the "labyrinthine" tax code of the country."

What is the difference between "labyrinthine" and "convoluted"?

While both mean complex, ""labyrinthine"" specifically evokes the structure of a maze, whereas "convoluted" often implies that something is unnecessarily twisted or coiled, like an argument that is hard to follow.

Is "labyrinthine" a formal word?

Yes, it is considered a sophisticated and formal adjective. It appears frequently in high-end journalism and literature but is less common in casual spoken English.

What can I say instead of "labyrinthine"?

You can use alternatives like "intricate", "maze-like", or "byzantine" depending on the context.