Labyrinthine
An English adjective meaning extremely complex, convoluted, or maze-like, derived from the Labyrinth built by Daedalus to imprison the Minotaur beneath the palace of Knossos
The Meaning of Labyrinthine
The adjective "labyrinthine" derives from the Labyrinth, the elaborate maze constructed by the master craftsman Daedalus at the command of King Minos of Crete to contain the Minotaur. The Labyrinth was so cunningly designed that no one who entered could find the way out — not even Daedalus himself could easily navigate his own creation. The structure was located beneath or adjacent to the palace of Knossos, and the tribute of fourteen Athenian youths were placed within it to be hunted by the Minotaur. Only Theseus, with the ball of thread given by Ariadne, managed to navigate the passages, slay the monster, and retrace his steps to the exit. The word "labyrinth" may derive from labrys, the double-headed axe that was a sacred symbol of Minoan Crete, though this etymology is disputed. The adjective "labyrinthine" entered English to describe any system, structure, or process of bewildering complexity — labyrinthine bureaucracy, labyrinthine legal codes, labyrinthine city streets. In anatomy, the inner ear is called the labyrinth because of its complex, winding structure of passages and chambers.
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Fun Fact
The inner ear is formally called the labyrinth in anatomical terminology because its complex winding passages reminded early anatomists of the Cretan maze
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Labyrinth
💭 conceptInescapable maze
The Labyrinth was the maze built by Daedalus beneath Knossos to contain the Minotaur — its name became the word for any complex, confusing structure.
Minotaur
💭 conceptMythology and architecture
The bull-headed monster imprisoned in the Labyrinth of Crete, whose myth gave English the concept of the labyrinth as a place of confusion and entrapment
Labyrinth of Knossos
🏛 placearchitecture, mystery
The legendary maze built by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur, possibly inspired by the elaborate palace at Knossos with its hundreds of interconnecting rooms.
Cyclopean
💭 conceptLanguage and architecture
An English adjective meaning immense or massive, particularly applied to ancient stonework of enormous blocks, named after the Cyclopes who were believed to have built the walls of Mycenae and Tiryns
Electra Complex
💭 conceptPsychoanalysis and psychology
A psychoanalytic concept proposed by Carl Jung describing a daughter's unconscious rivalry with her mother for her father's affection, named after the mythological princess who urged the murder of her mother
Labyrinth
🏛 placeThe great maze built by Daedalus
An impossibly complex maze built beneath the palace of Knossos on Crete by the master craftsman Daedalus. The Labyrinth imprisoned the Minotaur at its center.
Stygian
💭 conceptLanguage and the underworld
An English adjective meaning extremely dark, gloomy, or hellish, derived from the River Styx, the boundary between the world of the living and the Greek underworld
Oedipus Complex
💭 conceptPsychoanalysis and psychology
A Freudian psychoanalytic concept describing a child's unconscious desire for the parent of the opposite sex, named after the mythological king who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother
Promethean
💭 conceptLanguage and ambition
An English adjective meaning daringly creative, rebellious, or boldly innovative, derived from the Titan Prometheus who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity
Knossos
🏛 placePalace of Minos and the Labyrinth
Knossos was the vast Bronze Age palace complex in Crete — seat of King Minos and the mythological site of the Labyrinth.
Psyche
💭 conceptLanguage and psychology
An English word meaning the human mind or soul, derived from Psyche, the mortal woman whose love for Eros and trials among the gods became an allegory for the soul's journey
Odyssey
💭 conceptLanguage and literature
An English word meaning a long, eventful, and often difficult journey, derived from the title of Homer's epic poem describing Odysseus's ten-year voyage home from Troy