confusion
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word confusion. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word confusion, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say confusion in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word confusion you have here. The definition of the word confusion will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofconfusion, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: confusión
English
Etymology
From Middle English confusioun, from Old French confusion, from Latin confusio, confusionem.
Morphologically confuse + -ion.
Pronunciation
Noun
confusion (usually uncountable, plural confusions)
- A lack of clarity or order.
- The state of being confused; misunderstanding.
- 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Prologue:
- Forgive these wild and wandering cries,
Confusions of a wasted youth;
Forgive them where they fail in truth,
And in thy wisdom make me wise.
- The act of mistaking one thing for another or conflating distinct things.
- The confusion of sexual orientation and gender identity leads to discrimination and stereotyping.
- 1908, “lay v.¹”, in James A. H. Murray et al., editors, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VI, Part 1, London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 128:
- Now (exc. in Nautical language, see b) it is only dialectal or an illiterate substitute for lie, its identity of form with the past tense of the latter no doubt accounting largely for the confusion.
- Lack of understanding due to dementia.
- (archaic) A state of shame or embarrassment.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
- Lady Bellaston fixed her eyes on Sophia whilst she spoke these words. To which that poor young lady, having her face overspread with blushes and confusion, answered, in a stammering voice […]
Synonyms
- (lack of clarity or order): discombobulation
- (state of being confused): bewilderment, disarray
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of "lack of clarity or order"): clarity
- (antonym(s) of "misunderstanding"): distinction
Derived terms
Translations
lack of clarity or order
|
state of being confused; misunderstanding
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
French
Etymology
Inherited from Middle French confusion, from Old French confusion, borrowed from Latin cōnfusiōnem, from verb confundo.
Pronunciation
Noun
confusion f (plural confusions)
Derived terms
Further reading
- “confusion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.
Middle French
Etymology
From Old French confusion.
Noun
confusion f (plural confusions)
Descendants
- French: confusion
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin confusio, confusionem.
Noun
confusion oblique singular, f (oblique plural confusions, nominative singular confusion, nominative plural confusions)
- spread (act or instance of spreading)