more or less complex

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "more or less complex" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to compare the relative complexity of two things, for example: "The project was more or less complex than we expected."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

Whether building a secular temple to the female is a more or less complex pursuit than this is anyone's guess.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The spokesman went on: He has always been clear that this is a complex problem, it is no more or less complex than it was last week.

The Guardian

As noted above, human language is more than a large number of unrelated words: in accordance with certain implicitly understood syntactic rules, humans combine words to form sentences that communicate a more or less complex meaning to a listener.

Encyclopedia Britannica

This section considers other examples of learning, in which at least part of what an animal appears to acquire is the recognition of a more or less complex set of stimuli that subsequently can be used to guide its actions.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Furthermore, the same procedure can be used with other more or less complex mass bodies.

Earth, Planets and Space

The calculation of this feature can be more or less complex.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

Depending on how elaborate a model one wishes to obtain, one can use b t) to yield more complex or less complex analytic solutions for the function m(t).

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

The analysis presented here indicates that a similar situation exists in the stramenopiles, with individual protein uptake complexes exhibiting more or less complexity depending on the subgroup analysed.

Plosone

During evolution genes can produce more complex proteins by gene fusion or less complex proteins by gene fission.

Trends in Genetics

Chelates are large organic molecules that form a more or less stable complex around the Gd3+.

Cancer Imaging

Bill Clinton more or less got that complex mix with his 1992 slogan that "people who work hard and play by the rules shouldn't be poor".

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "more or less complex" to acknowledge a spectrum of complexity rather than a binary state. This provides nuance and precision to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "more or less complex" when a clearer, more specific descriptor of complexity is available. If you can quantify or qualify the complexity, do so for greater clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "more or less complex" functions as a qualifier, indicating a degree of complexity that can vary. As Ludwig shows, it's used to acknowledge a spectrum rather than a fixed state. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

62%

News & Media

21%

Encyclopedias

6%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "more or less complex" is a grammatically sound and versatile expression used to denote a varying degree of complexity. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct. Predominantly found in scientific and news contexts, as shown by Ludwig's examples, it serves to acknowledge a spectrum of complexity rather than a fixed state. For greater precision, consider using more specific descriptors when possible, but "more or less complex" provides a valuable way to express uncertainty or variability in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat intricate

Replaces "more or less" with "somewhat" and "complex" with "intricate", suggesting a slightly higher degree of complexity.

to varying degrees complicated

Emphasizes the variation in complication, using "to varying degrees" instead of "more or less".

relatively convoluted

Uses "relatively" to indicate a comparison and replaces "complex" with "convoluted", implying a higher level of intricacy and difficulty.

moderately elaborate

Uses "moderately" to suggest a medium level and replaces "complex" with "elaborate", focusing on the detailed nature.

of fluctuating difficulty

Focuses on the changing nature of the difficulty, replacing "complex" with "difficulty" and using "fluctuating" to describe the variation.

of variable intricacy

Highlights the variability in intricacy, replacing "complex" with "intricacy" and using "variable" to describe the degree.

with differing levels of sophistication

Shifts the focus to sophistication, using "differing levels" instead of "more or less" and replacing "complex" with "sophistication".

in degrees of elaborateness

Focuses on the degree of elaborateness, using "in degrees of" to indicate the variation and replacing "complex" with "elaborateness".

in varying measure intricate

Highlights measurement aspects, implies that the characteristic of being intricate is what varies.

exhibiting graduated complexity

Uses "graduated" to convey a step-by-step change in complexity.

FAQs

How can I use "more or less complex" in a sentence?

You can use "more or less complex" to describe something that varies in complexity, such as "The algorithm can be more or less complex depending on the data set".

What's a good alternative to "more or less complex"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "somewhat intricate", "relatively convoluted", or "moderately elaborate".

Is it better to use "more or less complex" or a more specific description of complexity?

While "more or less complex" is grammatically correct, using a more specific description can provide greater clarity and precision. For example, instead of saying "The system is more or less complex", you could say "The system has a high degree of interdependence".

When is it appropriate to use "more or less complex"?

It is appropriate to use "more or less complex" when you want to acknowledge a range of complexity without specifying an exact level. It's useful when the exact level isn't known or isn't important for the discussion.