confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of confusing

confusion of the issue

2

a

: the quality or state of being confused

Try to relieve their confusion.

mental confusion

b

: a confused mass or mixture

a confusion of voices

confusional

kən-ˈfyüzh-nəl 

-ˈfyü-zhə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• fog
• tangle
• perplexity
• bewilderment
• discomfort
• befuddlement
• distress
• embarrassment
• bafflement

Examples of confusion in a Sentence

There is still some confusion as to the time of the meeting.

There is a great deal of confusion about how the system works.

the anxieties and confusions of teenage life

He stared in confusion and disbelief.

There was total confusion when the truck hit the restaurant.

Recent Examples on the Web

That means naming the fear, the confusion and even the shame that might arise. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

That temptation, rich in moral confusion, runs through Leonardland, onscreen as on the page. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

Why did a moment of connection between two friends create such widespread confusion? —Carly Breit, People.com, 29 June 2025

What residents who want to rebuild with materials like adobe are left with is, largely, confusion. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English confusioun "ruin, disgrace, disorder," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French confusiun, borrowed from Latin confūsiōn-, confūsiō "mixing, combining, disorder, consternation," from confud-, variant stem of confundere "to pour together, blend, bring into disorder, destroy, disconcert" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at confound

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for confusion

• allusion
• collusion
• conclusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• illusion
• inclusion
• infusion

Kids Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act or instance of confusing

2

: the quality or state of being confused

her confusion was obvious

Medical Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion kən-ˈfyü-zhən 

: disturbance of consciousness characterized by inability to engage in orderly thought or by lack of power to distinguish, choose, or act decisively

confusional

-zhnəl, -zhən-ᵊl 

adjective

Legal Definition

confusion

noun

con·​fu·​sion

1

in the civil law of Louisiana : a uniting of two interests or rights in property into one compare merger sense 1

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : the termination of an obligation by a person acquiring the right from which the obligation arose

3

: the mixing or blending together of goods or commodities so that the individual owners cannot identify their own property

called also confusion of goods