Labyrinth
noun /ˈlæb.ər.ɪnθ/ — A complex maze; an intricate arrangement
Definition
A complex network of paths where it is difficult to find one's way — or figuratively, any intricate, confusing situation from which it is hard to escape.
Beyond the definition
The architecture of being lost with no reassurance that a way out exists. A labyrinth differs from a maze in one significant sense: it was designed.
Origin & history
From Greek 'labyrinthos' — possibly from Pre-Greek 'labrys' (double-headed axe), associated with the Palace of Knossos in Crete, where the Minotaur's maze supposedly stood.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The medieval labyrinth was not a maze to get lost in but a path for contemplative walking — one way in, one way out.
Bureaucracy is the labyrinth modernity built to replace the one Daedalus designed.
She found herself in a labyrinth of half-told truths and chose to stop walking.
Synonyms
maze, warren, tangle, complexity
Antonyms
straight path, clarity
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Complex Stone-Walled Maze
An adult stands before a complex, stone-walled maze with towering walls and a dark, imposing guardian figure at the entrance.
A labyrinth is a complex network of paths where it is hard to find one's way. The stone maze with its towering, imposing walls serves as a literal labyrinth, visualizing the confusing, difficult situation where finding an escape or a solution is a trial that requires navigating through complex, intricate surroundings.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration