Definition

1. Noun:

   • The natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin of a person's face: This is the most common meaning, referring to the quality of the facial skin.
   • The general character, aspect, or appearance of something: This figurative meaning describes the overall nature or quality of a situation, event, or period.
   • (Obsolete) A combination of qualities once believed to determine health and temperament: An archaic concept from medieval physiology.

2. Verb:

   • To give a particular color, character, or aspect to something: To affect the appearance or nature of something.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Skin): She has a clear and healthy complexion. His ruddy complexion suggested he spent a lot of time outdoors.

• Noun (General Character): The scandal put a different complexion on the entire election. The arrival of reinforcements changed the complexion of the battle.

• Verb: The evening light complexioned the old buildings with a golden hue. (This verb form is literary and less common.)

Advanced Usage

• "to put a new/different complexion on something": to change the way a situation is perceived or understood.

Variants and Related Words

• Complexioned (adjective): Having a specified complexion. Often used in combination (e.g., , ).

Synonyms

• Noun (Skin): Skin tone, skin color, coloring, hue.
• Noun (Character): Nature, character, aspect, appearance, guise, cast.

Different Meanings

• The primary modern meaning relates to facial skin.
• The secondary meaning relates to the general character of non-physical things (events, situations).
• The verb form is rare and typically used in literary contexts.

Idioms and Phrases

• "to put a (whole) new complexion on something": This idiom uses the word's figurative meaning to indicate a significant change in perception.

Noun

1. (obsolete) a combination of elements (of dryness and warmth or of the four humors) that was once believed to determine a person's health and temperament
2. texture and appearance of the skin of the face
3. a point of view or general attitude or inclination
   • he altered the complexion of his times
   • a liberal political complexion
4. a combination that results from coupling or interlinking
   • diphthongs are complexions of vowels
5. the coloring of a person's face

Verb

1. give a certain color to
   • The setting sun complexioned the hills