Basic vs. Complex — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Basic and Complex
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Compare with Definitions
Basic
A widely used programming language that is designed to be easy to learn.
Complex
Consisting of interconnected or interwoven parts; composite
Complex equipment with multiple components.
Basic
An essential, fundamental element or entity
The basics of math.
Complex
Composed of two or more units
A complex carbohydrate.
Basic
Basic training.
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Complex
Difficult to understand for being intricate or involved; complicated
A complex problem.
Basic
Of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental
“Basic changes in public opinion often occur because of shifts in concerns and priorities” (Atlantic).
Complex
Consisting of at least one bound form. Used of a word.
Basic
Of, being, or serving as a starting point or basis
A basic course in Russian.
A set of basic woodworking tools.
Complex
Consisting of an independent clause and at least one other independent or dependent clause. Used of a sentence.
Basic
Of or relating to a base.
Complex
A whole composed of interconnected or interwoven parts
A complex of cities and suburbs.
The military-industrial complex.
Basic
Containing a base, especially in excess of acid.
Complex
A building or group of buildings used for a single purpose
A sports complex.
Basic
Alkaline.
Complex
In psychoanalysis, a group of related, often repressed ideas and impulses that compel characteristic or habitual patterns of thought, feelings, and behavior.
Basic
(Geology) Containing little silica, as certain igneous rocks.
Complex
An exaggerated or obsessive concern or fear
Has a complex about his weight.
Basic
(Slang) Unthinkingly or blandly conformist
“Even someone who looks really indie … can be basic if they are simply imitating others rather than thinking for themselves” (Chelsea Rickling).
Complex
(Medicine) The combination of factors, symptoms, or signs of a disease or disorder that forms a syndrome.
Basic
Necessary, essential for life or some process.
Flour is a basic ingredient of bread.
Complex
Made up of multiple parts; composite; not simple.
A complex being; a complex idea
Basic
Elementary, simple, fundamental, merely functional.
The Hotel Sparta’s accommodation is very basic.
Complex
Not simple, easy, or straightforward; complicated.
Basic
(chemistry) Of or pertaining to a base; having a pH greater than 7.
Complex
Having the form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is (by definition) the imaginary square root of −1.
Complex number
Function of a complex variable
Basic
(slang) Unremarkable or uninteresting; boring; uncool.
Complex
Whose range is a subset of the complex numbers.
Complex function
Basic
A necessary commodity, a staple requirement.
Rice is a basic for many Asian villagers.
Complex
Whose coefficients are complex numbers; defined over the field of complex numbers.
Complex polynomial
Complex algebraic variety
Basic
An elementary building block, e.g. a fundamental piece of knowledge.
Arithmetic is a basic for the study of mathematics.
I know the basics of sailing and would love to learn more.
Complex
(geometry) A curve, polygon or other figure that crosses or intersects itself.
Basic
(military) Basic training.
The drill sergeants gave him hell in basic.
Complex
A problem. en
Basic
Relating to a base; performing the office of a base in a salt.
Complex
A network of interconnected systems.
Military-industrial complex
Basic
Said of crystalline rocks which contain a relatively low percentage of silica, as basalt.
Complex
A collection of buildings with a common purpose, such as a university or military base.
Basic
An artificial computer language with a relatively simplified instruction set.
Complex
An assemblage of related things; a collection.
Basic
A popular programming language that is relatively easy to learn; an acronym for beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code; no longer in general use
Complex
An organized cluster of thunderstorms.
Basic
(usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
Complex
A cluster of wildfires burning in the same vicinity.
The fire complex began as two separate fires.
Basic
Pertaining to or constituting a base or basis;
A basic fact
The basic ingredients
Basic changes in public opinion occur because of changes in priorities
Complex
(taxonomy) A group of closely related species, often distinguished only with difficulty by traditional morphological methods.
Basic
Reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality;
A basic story line
A canonical syllable pattern
Complex
(psychoanalysis) An abnormal mental condition caused by repressed emotions.
Basic
Of primary importance;
Basic truths
Complex
A vehement, often excessive psychological dislike or fear of a particular thing.
Jim has a real complex about working for a woman boss.
Basic
Serving as a base or starting point;
A basic course in Russian
Basic training for raw recruits
A set of basic tools
An introductory art course
Complex
(chemistry) A structure consisting of a central atom or molecule weakly connected to surrounding atoms or molecules, as for example coordination complexes in inorganic chemistry and protein complexes in biochemistry.
Basic
Of or denoting or of the nature of or containing a base
Complex
(math) A complex number.
Complex
(linguistics) A multimorphemic word, one with several parts, one with affixes.
Complex
To form a complex with another substance
Complex
(transitive) To complicate.
Complex
Composed of two or more parts; composite; not simple; as, a complex being; a complex idea.
Ideas thus made up of several simple ones put together, I call complex; such as beauty, gratitude, a man, an army, the universe.
Complex
Involving many parts; complicated; intricate.
When the actual motions of the heavens are calculated in the best possible way, the process is difficult and complex.
Complex
Assemblage of related things; collection; complication.
This parable of the wedding supper comprehends in it the whole complex of all the blessings and privileges exhibited by the gospel.
Complex
A conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts;
The complex of shopping malls, houses, and roads created a new town
Complex
A compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated
Complex
(psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior
Complex
A whole structure (as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures
Complex
Complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts;
A complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody
A complex mass of diverse laws and customs
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