rubegoldbergian

comparative more rubegoldbergian · superlative most rubegoldbergian · alternative Rube Goldbergian

1. CanadaUSAchieving a simple objective by absurdly complicated means; overcomplicated, elaborate and impractical.First known use 20th c.

   The machinery of government is often rubegoldbergian, with complex arrangements of devolution and special status and power-sharing and affirmative action, and the contraption is held together by a few national symbols such as a rugby team.

   2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 633

   Synonyms: Goldbergian, Heath Robinsonesque