noun
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violent disturbance; upheaval
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political insurrection; disorder
-
a confused noise; din
Synonym Usage
See ado.
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Upon hearing a commotion outside, McGlockton left the store to see 47-year-old Michael Drejka arguing heatedly with Jacobs.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
“It kind of gums up the wheels of the urban economy just because of the commotion and congestion that’s created.”
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
"By the time I arrived, the commotion had already started, and I thought there might have been a small fire or something," she said.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
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
I almost-hollered, because somebody had to make enough commotion to get things moving and back to all right again.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
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.
