confusion

[ kuhn-fyoo-zhuhn ]
See synonyms for: confusionconfusional on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the act of confusing.

  2. the state of being confused.

  1. disorder; upheaval; tumult; chaos: The army retreated in confusion.

  2. lack of clearness or distinctness: a confusion in his mind between right and wrong.

  3. perplexity; bewilderment: The more difficult questions left us in complete confusion.

  4. embarrassment or abashment: He blushed in confusion.

  5. Psychiatry. a disturbed mental state; disorientation.

  6. Archaic. defeat, overthrow, or ruin.

Origin of confusion

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin confūsiōn-, stem of confūsiō “disorder, mixture,” literally “a mixing,” from confūs(us) “mixed” (past participle of cōnfundere; see confound) + -iō -ion

Other words for confusion

Other words from confusion

  • con·fu·sion·al, adjective
  • pre·con·fu·sion, noun
  • re·con·fu·sion, noun
  • su·per·con·fu·sion, noun

Words Nearby confusion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use confusion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for confusion

confusion

/ (kənˈfjuːʒən) /


noun
  1. the act of confusing or the state of being confused

  2. disorder; jumble

  1. bewilderment; perplexity

  2. lack of clarity; indistinctness

  3. embarrassment; abashment

Derived forms of confusion

  • confusional, adjective

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