The present work consists of synthesis, structural characterization, spectral, DFT, antimicrobial and anticancer studies of two copper(II) complexes, [Cu(THEEN)(DNB)](DNB) (1) and [Cu(TEAH 3 ) 2 ](DNB) 2 (2). In these complexes, THEEN is N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, a tetrapodal ligand, and TEAH 3 is tris(2-hydroxyethyl)amine, a tripodal ligand, and the counter anion is 3,5-dinitrobenzoate (DNB -). X-ray crystallography studies reveal that both complexes have distorted octahedron geometries. Density functional theory (DFT) studies have been performed to calculate structural parameters, vibrational bands and energy gaps of frontier orbital (HOMO-LUMO) with B3LYP/6-31G*/LANL2DZ level of theory using DMSO as solvent. The theoretical and crystallographic analyses are consistent. Antimicrobial studies have been performed with new copper(II) complexes against gram(+) bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), gram(-) bacteria (Serratia marcescens, Sphingobium japonicum and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) and fungal species (Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The copper(II) complexes have also shown in vitro cytotoxicity on MCF-7, HCT-116 and HL-60 human cell lines. This study demonstrates that 2 was active against MCF-7 cell lines with IC 50 of 23 µg/mL.