Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

confectioners' sugar

American  
[kuhn-fek-shuh-nerz shoog-er] / kənˈfɛk ʃə nərz ˈʃʊg ər /

noun

  1. an extra-fine variety of powdered sugar, with cornstarch added to preserve dryness, used in icings, confections, etc.: it is graded from XXX to 14X, with a higher number of X’s corresponding to a more finely ground product.


confectioners' sugar British  

noun

  1. the US term for icing sugar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of confectioners' sugar

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

See Examples For:

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, citrus zest, vanilla and salt in a food processor.

From Salon Jul. 20, 2026

One of the recurring tropes in “The Things We Never Say” is of a younger Artie spying his sister Maria eating confectioners’ sugar.

From Los Angeles Times May 5, 2026

Serve them with a quick homemade blueberry syrup, regular maple syrup or loads of melted butter and confectioners’ sugar so their lightly sweet citrus flavor can really shine.

From New York Times Jun. 17, 2023

Place on a cake plate or stand and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

From Washington Times May 16, 2023

Then Mama and I cooked six tuna casseroles six different ways, and we baked four chocolate cakes and dusted them with confectioners’ sugar.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training