confection

[ kuhn-fek-shuhn ]

noun

1. a sweet preparation of fruit or the like, as a preserve or candy.
2. the process of compounding, preparing, or making something.
3. a frivolous, amusing, or contrived play, book, or other artistic or literary work.
4. something made up or confected; a concoction:

   He said the charges were a confection of the local police.

5. something, as a garment or decorative object, that is very delicate, elaborate, or luxurious and usually nonutilitarian.
6. Pharmacology. a medicated preparation made with the aid of sugar, honey, syrup, or the like.

verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to prepare as a confection.

confection

/ kənˈfɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of compounding or mixing
2. any sweet preparation of fruit, nuts, etc, such as a preserve or a sweet
3. old-fashioned.
   an elaborate article of clothing, esp for women
4. informal.
   anything regarded as overelaborate or frivolous

   the play was merely an ingenious confection

5. a medicinal drug sweetened with sugar, honey, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of confection¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English confeccioun, from Latin confectiōn- (stem of confectiō ) “preparation, conclusion, completion”; confect, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of confection¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin confectiō a preparing, from conficere to produce; see confect

Example Sentences

In fact, Mexico may have started producing cajeta long before Argentina began producing its confection.

From Washington Post

Made with Valrhona chocolate, the intense confection becomes richer at the table when a server pokes a hole in its center and fills it with caramel sauce.

From Washington Post

She envisions opening up a “very pretty cakery” where people can pick up confections to share for celebrations.

From Time

The jiggly pastel-hued confections are made with flavors like peach, lychee, and persimmon.

From Eater

Every author of fiction set in the past has to gauge how tolerant readers will be with pure invention, and mysteries are imaginative confections as a rule.

From Washington Post

"I shall consider myself Punk'd," recites a proud Ichabod in response to this unexpected lit confection.

From The Daily Beast

In comparison, The Quest is an over the top confection, with about as much genuine genre integrity as Your Highness.

From The Daily Beast

And your debut feature, (500) Days of Summer, really struck me as a pop confection of sorts.

From The Daily Beast

Finally, a dance song dominates the summer but manages to forgo sugary pop confection.

From The Daily Beast

The business they were running was a confection of several sources.

From The Daily Beast

The azucarilla is a confection not unlike "Edinburgh rock," but more porous and of the nature of a meringue.

From Project Gutenberg

La vieille mre est sujett des maux d'estomac, et je lui ai apport un pot de confection d'hyacinthe.

From Project Gutenberg

This confection was embossed with a hundred intricate designs, rich with silver; un-Amish as a Christmas tree.

From Project Gutenberg

Confections deals with that very delightful and fascinating part of cookery--confection making.

From Project Gutenberg

They have an extensive use in cookery, both as a confection and an ingredient in cakes, puddings, and pastry.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cake
• candy
• pastry