noun
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violent disturbance; upheaval
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political insurrection; disorder
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a confused noise; din
Related Words
See ado.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commotion
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin commōtiōn-, stem of commōtiō, from commōt(us) “disturbed” (past participle of commovēre “to displace, disturb,” literally, “to move together”; see commove) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A commotion is a noisy disturbance. If you're trying to quietly concentrate on reading this, you wouldn't want the person next to you to cause a commotion, or it would distract you. Commotion, which comes from the Middle French word commocion, means "violent motion, agitation." It can be a disorderly outburst or disruption, like someone yelling in the street at night, or five people arguing about someone talking on a cellphone while a play is being performed in front of them. Commotion can also describe out-of-control movement, like people pushing and shoving to get to the front row of a concert.
Vocabulary lists containing commotion
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 1
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List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Director/co-writer David Winters’ low-budget slasher movie was shot guerrilla-style — initially without permits — across the 1981 festival, using its real-time commotion, glitz and key locales as a vivid backdrop.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Less frequent are the moments in the middle; good days with little commotion, ones that warrant personal reflection but don’t have the same emotional resonance in a relatively standard biopic like this one.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Alexandra Ingersoll, a correspondent for One America News, told AFP she was inside when the commotion began, and saw Secret Service spring into action to protect the president.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
Leading opposition member and lawyer Fadzayi Mahere told the BBC that Zanu-PF supporters had caused the "commotion" in order to prevent critics from registering their disagreement with the bill.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
Rayburn didn’t bark at the commotion, and Holly wasn’t in her normal spot.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
